Gnocchi, Gnudi. Gnudi, Gnocchi.

I recently made gnocchi for a friend and was asked, "What is the difference between gnocchi and gnudi." Essentially it depends how much flour you use, as gnudi has very little. But here is a short gnocchi/gnudi primer.

Gnocchi literally translated in Italian means "lump". Gnoccho, which is an individual gnocchi, translates in to the slang "dull-witted oaf". You have to love how Italians name their food! But I digress.

Gnocchi is a nugget-sized dumpling generally made from potato and flour. It can also be made from semolina, as in Gnocchi alla Romana, which hails from Rome. Or it can be made from squash, as in Versilian Squash Gnocchi from Lucca, in Tuscany. There is also a gnocchi made from ricotta and spinach sometimes called "malfatti". Malfatti translates into "poorly made", probably because ricotta and spinach is generally what you use for filling. In the poorer mountainous regions of Italy they substitute chestnut flour for wheat flour for Gnocchi de Castagne. 

Gnudi is a Florentine creation made from Swiss Chard or spinach and ricotta with very little flour. Gnudi is often paired with a sage and butter sauce. You can also see these little gems listed as "nudi" or "ignudi", just to make the distinction as clear as mud.

Of all the names I’ve heard for these lovely little dumplings, my son's version is my favorite "amazing little balls of goodness". I have fantastic recipe in the works pairing gnocchi with Concerto™ Grape Tomatoes. It’s coming soon, so watch for it!