Gnocchi, Italy's supreme comfort food, takes on an astounding variety of textures, shapes, and flavors. It has scores of different names and comes from nearly every corner of the country. It's often made with potato, variations are made with buckwheat, beets, or spinach. We've rounded up our very favorite gnocchi recipes, as well as one closely related recipe. For technical guidance, see our Guide Making Better Gnocchi »
Classic gnocchi is often made with potatoes, flour, and eggs. Boiled, it should become pillowy and tender. Try saucing your gnocchi with a reduction of sagrantino wine and guanciale. That basic potato gnocchi can be fortified with other ingredients to add flavor—peas and mint add summery color and flavor, while farro adds a complex, nutty element.
Making gnocchi with ricotta gives them an even lighter texture. Our Piedmontese beet and ricotta gnocchi are a stunning shade of purple and so packed with flavor that they don't need any sauce but olive oil, balsamic, and a little parmesan. Adding buckwheat gives the gnocchi a little more heft and an earthy flavor that complements a creamy sauce with spinach and peas.
If you're looking for a gluten-free option, we can help.. Our sweet potato gnocchi use a base of sweet potatoes and Russet potatoes, with brown rice flour and sweet potato starch binding everything together. We love them with Portland chef Jenn Louis' rich Gorgonzola cream sauce, but a simple brown butter works wonderfully as well.
Dive into the world of gnocchi with our favorite recipes.
Pillowy gnocchi are gently tossed with a robust meat sauce and finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and cracked black pepper
Beet and Ricotta Gnocchi with Wilted Beet Greens and Aged Balsamic
For this Piedmontese dish, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar adds a tangy complexity.
Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce
These soft gnocchi from Tuscany are the ultimate version of the kind most commonly served at Italian-American restaurants. The dish is amped up with briny chopped capers and green olives. Get the recipe for Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce »
Buckwheat and Ricotta Gnocchi with Cream, Peas, and Spinach
Buckwheat and Ricotta Gnocchi with Cream, Peas, and Spinach
Plantain Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù
Ripe plantains and yucca stand in for potatoes in this version of gnocchi from the Dominican Republic, which is served with short rib ragù. A long, slow braise with red wine, cayenne, and paprika results in tender, fall-off-the-bone morsels of meat; bolstered with cream, the rich sauce is then ladled over the slightly sweet, fluffy dumplings. Get the recipe for Plantain Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù »
Spinach Spätzli with Brown Butter, Crispy Speck, and Pangrattato
Near Italy’s border with Austria, the food takes on a distinctly Teutonic bent with spätzli, a close Italian cousin of German spätzle. Get the recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Brown Butter, Crispy Speck, and Pangrattato »
Farro Gnocchi with Pork Ragù
In this Umbrian ragù, fennel pollen adds a sweet aroma and a flavor similar to that of the fennel-laced sausages found in Italian butcher shops. Get the recipe for Farro Gnocchi with Pork Ragù »
Gnocchi in Sagrantino Cream Sauce (Gnocchi al Sagrantino)
A reduction of sagrantino wine, along with guanciale, flavors the sauce for this creamy gnocchi dish. Get the recipe for Gnocchi in Sagrantino Cream Sauce (Gnocchi al Sagrantino) »
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
These vibrant, mildly sweet gnocchi were developed by stylist Judy Haubert as a gluten-free option to accompany Portland chef Jenn Louis’ rich Gorgonzola cream sauce. Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce »
Bread Crumb Dumplings and Bean Stew with Parsley-Speck Pesto
In Emilia-Romagna, chef Carla Rebecchi taught Jenn Louis to make this borlotti bean stew with shell-like gnocchi called pisarei. A fresh herb sauce laced with speck tops it off. Get the recipe for Bread Crumb Dumplings and Bean Stew with Parsley-Speck Pesto »
Keep Reading
Continue to Next Story
