Meaning & use
gnocchi
Last updated
UK/ˈnjɒki/
US/ˈnjɑːki/
Meaning
noununcountable
Small soft dumplings from Italy, usually made from potato or flour, boiled and served with a sauce.
Grammar: Takes a singular or plural verb: the gnocchi is or are ready.
Patterns
- gnocchi with something
- a plate of gnocchi
We had gnocchi with a creamy sage sauce.
Her homemade gnocchi were light and soft.
The restaurant serves potato gnocchi with melted cheese.
Common combinations
- potato gnocchi
- Potato gnocchi can turn out heavy if overmixed.
- homemade gnocchi
- Homemade gnocchi tastes better than packaged.
- pan-fried gnocchi
- Pan-fried gnocchi has a crisp outside.
- gnocchi with pesto
- He ordered gnocchi with pesto for lunch.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dumplings
- Dumplings is a general term used in many cuisines, while gnocchi are specifically Italian.
- pasta
- Pasta is the broad category, and gnocchi are often included though they are not made from a rolled dough.
- spaetzle
- Spaetzle are German egg noodles that look like small dumplings, while gnocchi are usually potato-based.
Word family
- gnocco noun
- the Italian singular, rarely used in English
- gnocchetti noun
- smaller Italian dumplings
- Italian adjective
- relating to Italy
Commonly confused: gnocchi or ravioli?
gnocchi vs ravioli
Ravioli is pasta stuffed with filling, but gnocchi are solid dumplings with no filling.
Practice
How is gnocchi pronounced in English?
Choose one answer.
The gn is pronounced ny, as in Italian. Pronouncing the g is common in error but wrong.
Make it your own
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