I have always been intrigued by Italian culture. Its history, art and food are world famous. When I was six years old, I was fortunate to visit Italy with my family, and during her college education, my sister studied in Bologna, the food capital of Italy. At age six, my favorite dishes were penne pasta, margherita pizza and gelato. Perhaps I missed out on some classic Italian dishes at the time. Luckily, my palette has since expanded and I hope to return to Italy one day to partake in classical dishes such as risotto, polenta, ribollita soup and arancini rice balls. Until that time, because of my love of cooking I have been able to try some traditional Italian dishes in my own kitchen.

Gnocchi, a small dumpling made from potato and flour or semolina, is typically served in a sauce during the primo course of a formal Italian dinner, followed by fish or meat. As the dish gains international popularity, gnocchi often finds itself served as a main dish. While gnocchi is not usually considered a staple of a healthy diet, the potato-based dough has a higher protein content than typical pasta and it can be served with a variety of vegetables, including spinach and tomatoes.

While traditional potato gnocchi was made possible when potatoes were introduced to Italy from South America, there is evidence of gnocchi at banquets and festivities dating back to before the introduction of the potato. This gnocchi precursor was known as zanzarelli and was a mixture of bread, milk, and ground almonds. Malfatti, an egg, flour, and water-based pasta, followed zanzarelli and showed more similarities to modern day pasta. The recipe continued to evolve as chefs began pushing the dough through a cheese grater. This idea is attributed to Italian chef Bartolomeo Scappi. Italian legend Pellegrino Artusi can be credited with the gnocchi that we know and love today. Artusi paid careful attention to the shape of the gnocchi, adding small crevices that hold the accompanying sauce. This heightened the taste of the pasta as every bite of gnocchi was filled with flavor.

What is enjoyable about cooking gnocchi is the seemingly endless variety of ways it can be prepared and served. The potato pasta preparation often reflects the specific Italian region where it is made. Each region prides itself on creating a unique and traditional gnocchi recipe using different base ingredients, sauces, and serving styles. In Northern Italy, including the region of Lombardy, gnocchi is often served with a creamy sauce, and is often quickly grilled to brown the top of the dish before serving. To the East, in Verona, it is typical to find gnocchi prepared in a tomato sauce. In Venice, gnocchi is shaped into a small disc rather than the classic oval. Venetians refer to gnocchi as macaroni, and it is usually oven baked with butter and cheese. In Sorrento, a region in Southern Italy, the classic recipe is known as gnocchi alla sorrentina. The gnocchi is prepared with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. The common thread among all these regions is the homemade preparation of gnocchi, yielding a light and delicate pasta with a silky-smooth texture.

I enjoyed preparing gnocchi for this assignment. It was the first time I have ever cooked a pasta dish from scratch and after learning about what a full traditional Italian dinner entails, I was inspired to prepare a full formal meal. I first served an antipasto consisting of salumi, olives, and cheese. Next I served gnocchi as the primo course followed by a white fish as the secondo course. I accompanied the fish with a broccoli with garlic contorno and ended the meal with orange slices for the dolce. The dinner was a huge success and was an excellent way to get my whole family involved in ITAL370W! After trying my homemade gnocchi, it is safe to say I will have a hard time returning to any type of packaged pasta. In the future, I plan to include my whole family in the meal preparation and look forward to teaching them my new skill set in the kitchen. Homemade dishes are worth the time and effort and although I feared my gnocchi would fall apart in the pot or finish hard or chewy, my gnocchi reviews were positive. My pasta making confidence has been boosted. Next, I hope to make more variations of pasta, including spaghetti and other forms of Chinese noodles. In addition to my newfound kitchen expertise, this project allowed me to delve further into Italian history and culture. The ability to learn about cultures around the world is clearly linked to learning about, preparing and enjoying different global cuisines.