Thursday Gnocchi

Small pale oval ridged lumps sat in a heap on the dish. The waiter grated over a scattering of parmesan flakes. From the kitchen came my dish, a brightly red coloured hill of tomato sauce drenched bucatini. The waiter repeated the parmesan ritual. Why did he have to be so mean? My dining companion shook his head , "giovedi gnocchi!" (it was Thursday). I tucked into my pasta as he ate his gnocchi. He smacked his lips, "buonissimo." I didn't believe him. How could something so dull looking so simple be any good?

And so, for many years I chose to ignore a key Italian dish. Possibly memories of my British grandmother's bland Sunday dumplings, lumps of stodgy flour, were to blame as well.
Gnocchi are prepared from North to South with regional variations and different sauces. The principal ingredient can vary from semolina, potato, chestnuts, pumpkin to the basic bread dumplings, canederli of the Alto Adige.

Tradition has it that Thursday is for gnocchi, hence 'Giovedi Gnocchi'. But the saying would be incomplete without 'Venerdi Pesce, Sabato Trippa'. (Fish on Friday, Tripe on Saturday). As gnocchi are filling and calorific, they are a good preparation for a lean fish-filled Friday. On Saturdays the butchers would prepare the cuts for the plentiful Sunday lunch. Offcuts, again the leaner and more digestible as well as smellier pieces would be used on Saturday. 



Thus, through thrift, parsimony and observation of Catholic tradition was no food wasted nor did anyone go hungry
Gnocchi may have originated in the Middle East but it was the Roman legions that brought them to Italy. These early gnocchi were made from a semolina porridge-like dough not unlike today's flat discs of Gnocchi alla Romana (also made with semolina).

The more widespread and popular potato gnocchi came with the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century.
The basic recipe takes 700grs of mashed potatoes, 300grs of flour (type00), 40grs of parmesan and an egg all mixed together to form a dough. The dough ball is then split into smaller parts, each is rolled out into a sausage and each sausage cut up into separate little dumplings.The dumplings then need to be furrowed. Most Italian markets will sell a small furrowed palette along which to roll the little balls. However, pressing down a fork onto the soft dough will create a similar effect. The ridges are all important to capture and hold the sauce whatever it may be: tomatoes, garlic, pesto, four cheeses, chestnuts and cream, funghi porcini etc. .

Gnocchi are as versatile as any other type of pasta. They can be flavoured with herbs, truffles, cocoa, combined with any vegetable, and vary in size from itzy-bitzy gnocchetti to the ping pong balls that are the canederli.

The name, gnocchi, derives either from the Italian for knuckle (nocca) or knot (nocchio). Once the dumplings are made they can be kept for later on a semolina filled tray or plate, or tossed into boiling salted water to be poached. As soon as they float to the surface they are ready to be scooped out and tossed in whatever sauce you want.

They are not to be confused with the increasingly popular cousin gnudi (naked) a dumpling made of ricotta and parmesan usually with sage or some other herbs. They are called gnudi as they are the stuffing of ricotta stuffed pasta without the covering pasta.

As for myself, I have been won over to gnocchi. 
I started out with the cute gnocchetti in a pesto sauce. Then the regular sized knuckles of potato gnocchi with tomato sauce and basil while eyeing up the aluminium trays of flat Gnocchi alla Romana that appeared in fresh pasta shops on Thursdays. Eventually I gave them a try too. They're a tad tricky to make. 
My graduation is complete as I now make both potato and pumpkin gnocchi. But eyeing the future I consider extending the range chestnut gnocchi, spinach gnocchi….the gnocchi future is infinite.