Forget what you know about gnocchi, then order these
We Americans like to think we own the comfort food genre, but I’d argue the Italians have us beat in the warm, fuzzy, comfort-via-cooking department.
Consider Italian chefs who can’t spend five minutes in a culinary conversation without mentioning cooking at their mothers’ or nonnas’ knees. And what about pizza, arguably America’s favorite comfort food? Sure, we’ve made it our own, but if we’re considering pizza’s origins, then the point obviously goes to the Italians. To them must also go the credit for comforting classics like spaghetti Bolognese, fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna, arancini, chicken cacciatore, veal Parmesan, osso buco, the list goes on and on!
But to my mind, the best of the best Italian comfort food — the crème de la crème you might say if you were blasphemously speaking French at a moment like this— is the gnocchi alla Romana at Andreoli Italian Grocer.
Comfort me with Parmesan
As comfort food goes, this one’s got it all: carbs, rich custard-like flavor, a firm, yet creamy texture, a crunchy exterior and a dreamy drape of Parmesan-Gruyere cheese sauce.
Although there’s Parmesan in the dough and Parmesan in the sauce, the kitchen adds a final sprinkle of Parmesan to the gnocchi before presenting it. Why? Because no one has ever said, “You’re giving me too much Parmesan.”
However, before ordering this dish, you’ll want to forget everything you think you know about gnocchi.
This is not your nonna’s gnocchi
This version, which originated in Rome and gradually spread throughout Italy, is not made with potatoes, but rather semolina. Yep, the same durum wheat used for making pasta.
These gnocchi pre-date potato gnocchi. Potatoes didn’t make their way to Italy until the 1500s, so you might say semolina gnocchi are the OG (original gnocchi).
These gnocchi don’t look anything like the rolled potato dumplings. They actually look a bit like flat biscuits, and are in fact fashioned from rolled-out dough that’s cooled and then cut in circular shapes and baked in the oven...just like biscuits.
The crispy, golden-brown tops and bottoms are perhaps more akin to pancakes. So, maybe it’s better to say they’re not quite like biscuits, not quite like pancakes, not quite like pasta and not quite like traditional gnocchi. In fact, they’re not quite like anything you’ve ever had before, and that’s what makes them so crazy good.
Details: Andreoli Italian Grocer, 8880 E. Via Linda Drive, Scottsdale. 480-614-1980, andreoli-grocer.com.