From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
1. eaten like pasta as a first course or a side dish, but, unlike pasta, require no special equipment to prepare - not even a rolling pin. Indeed, they're no more difficult to make than a batch of cookies. The dough can be formed from a base of potatoes, flour, cornmeal or bread crumbs, and a variety of gnocchi abounds all over Italy. In the Val d'Aosta region, for instance, gnocchi are made from buckwheat flour and served with melted Fontina cheese. Saffron colors the tiny gnocchi of Sardinia, and pumpkin is favored in Lombardy. In the Alto Aldige region, gnocchi are made with rye bread crumbs. In the mountainous Abruzzo region, gnocchi are served carbonara-style, with an egg and pancetta sauce. North of Venice in Friuli, sweet gnocchi, flavored with raisins, cocoa and cinnamon, are a traditional Christmas treat. 2. a dried pasta that is shaped like a hollow ridged shell, similar to the domed top of a soft, doughy gnocchi. See also pasta.
