What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi (/n(y)ok-ee, also US, nyoh-kee; or singular gnocco) are various thick, soft dough dumplings that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs or similar ingredients. It is often a replacement for traditional pastas.
Like many Italian dishes there is considerable variation in recipes and names across different regions. They are generally home-made in Italian and diaspora Italian households. Stuffings are varied by household and although often served in a browned butter they are also perfectly accompanied by red sauces and other accompaniments. Chef LaBella’s offering at the Natchez Dinner (as part of the famed New Orleans Wine and Food Experience in May) comes from his Sicilian heritage and a certain delight to the palate.
This course of the dinner will be served with terra d’oro sangiovese, from the Trinchero Estates Wine family. The Terra d’Oro Sangiovese is a beautiful wine with elegant and inviting aromas of sweet rosewater, exotic spices and subtle hints of raspberries. Rich flavors of candied cherry, red currant tea, allspice and white pepper coat the mouth and its complex tannic structure make for a round finish. The Sangiovese is light-bodied and offers bright acidity, making it the perfect food-friendly wine.
