Four Reasons to Prefer Gnocchi to Pasta

Who does not know pasta? Who does not have a favorite pasta dish? If you are not a fan of elaborate dishes, maybe you love macaroni and cheese, or loved it when you were a kid. Undoubtedly, pasta in all its versions is today a favorite in every country.

However, not all Italian dishes consist of pasta or pizza. Italian cuisine can offer other options that, if not tastier, at least might be more convenient for many people. Gnocchi are one of such alternatives, and here you can read four reasons why they are a great substitute for any pasta.

Reason No. 1: Gnocchi go well with any sauce for pasta

Gnocchi can be prepared with practically all the same sauces as any pasta.

Do you like spaghetti alla Bolognese? Then you can replace them with gnocchi alla Bolognese. Do you have a carbonara sauce? You can make a plate of gnocchi alla carbonara. You wanted to make a penne al prosciutto dinner, but you do not have enough penne for all the guests? If you have gnocchi, you can perfectly make a generous amount of gnocchi al prosciutto that will get your dinners full and satisfied.

Or perhaps you only have some olive oil, green herbs and a few spices, or only a humble stick of butter. With a plate of gnocchi al pesto or gnocchi al burro you will have a simple but very tasty lunch.

In short, with any sauce for pasta you will get a delicious gnocchi dish. If you want to know more options, you can read the excellent gnocchi recipes available at https://olivieri.ca/gnocchi-recipes/.

Reason No. 2: Gnocchi can give body to any soup or salad

You have made soup and, although it tastes good, you feel that it lacks volume, or it is not as wholesome as you expected, or it is still too runny. Perhaps you have made a salad with excellent vegetables, but not enough for everyone at the table.

If so, do not worry. Just like pasta, gnocchi can be used as well to give body and more volume to your soup without chunks or your delicious but meager salad.

Reason No. 3: Gnocchi can be used as a snack

You have planned a little get-together with your friends, who are coming over, and you realize at the last minute that you do not have any French fries, cheese corn sticks, crunchy nachos, or a cup of a few nuts, with which to treat them. However, do you have some already cooked gnocchi leftover from a previous meal? So do not despair—those same gnocchi will get you out of trouble.

All you have to do is toast or lightly fry those gnocchi in a skillet, and let them cool when they are ready. Once they have cooled, just bring them to the table on a platter with a bowl of melted cheese or any dip of your choice. Your guests will be pleased and will celebrate the tasty snack they have discovered thanks to you.

As you can see, this is not simply a substitution possibility, but rather a real advantage of gnocchi over pasta.

Reason no. 4: Gnocchi are not only suitable for vegetarians, but also for vegans and celiacs

The reasons for preferring a vegetarian diet, or the more radical option of a vegan diet, or for abstaining from gluten, can be diverse—wanting to lead a healthier life, avoiding foods that cause harm to a sensitive body, or showing veneration for animal life.

Whatever the motivation, many people have these preferences and, therefore, they must find and consume the appropriate foods.

Ordinary or regular pasta is suitable for vegetarians, as it is made without meat, but not for vegans, as it contains egg and often also milk derivatives. Regular pasta is not suitable for celiacs either, because its basic ingredient is semolina, made, as we all know, from wheat.

On the other hand, regular gnocchi are threefold suitable—for vegetarians, because no meat is used in their preparation; for vegans, because they do not contain egg, and many of their versions, no other ingredient of animal origin; and for celiacs, because gnocchi usually do not contain wheat, since their basic ingredient is potato or vegetable pulp. As you can see, this is clearly another advantage of gnocchi over regular pasta.

Of course, to be one hundred percent sure, you should always read the nutrition facts label on the package.