If It's Thursday, It Must Be Gnocchi

October 22, 2009

Of all the adventures on my recent trip to Italy, one menu in a Roman restaurant perhaps amused me more than any other.

I really wanted to order something very classically Roman, like roast lamb, or Jewish stye artichokes, or spaghetti all amatriciana, but then I noticed that gnocchi were on the menu and next to its listing, the words “solo giovedi.” That meant you could only order them on Thursdays, and that’s because that’s the way it is!

Gnocchi are found all over Italy, but are made in very different ways. Gnocchi translates to dumpling; the most popular are made with potato but there are gnocchi variations across the boot like pumpkin gnocchi, ricotta cheese gnocchi, spinach gnocchi, prune filled gnocchi and semolina gnocchi.

But, when in Rome, do as the Romans do and only have gnocchi on Thursdays!

You can find even more gnocchi recipes on CiaoItalia.com.

And one last thing, never ever call someone a gnocco; that’s like calling them a dunce, and it’s worse than trying to order gnocchi on a Friday.

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