In Italy, there are many types of pasta called ‘gnocchetti‘ (literally translated little gnocchi). Shapes and ingredients can vary with each gnocchetti recipe, depending on the region.
Although many abroad think only of potato gnocchi when they hear the word ‘gnocchi,’ this is only one kind of gnocchi in Italy. For instance, this semolina gnocchi recipe (a traditional Roman food recipe) has no potato at all!
Little Gnocchi Without Potatoes
In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make the gnocchetti popular in the Umbria region of Italy!
They are little gnocchi without potatoes, made only with water, breadcrumbs and flour. For this reason, they are the ideal fresh pasta recipe to whip up for a special occasion or for guests. This gnocchetti recipe is a fast and easy fresh pasta recipe for beginners to make.
Fun fact: these are the traditional gnocchetti used to make another traditional pasta recipe from the Umbria region: Gnocchetti alla Collescipolana! In that recipe, the gnocchetti are combined with a sauce of beans, onions and sausage!
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How to Make Gnocchetti
This gnocchetti recipe is so easy! The proportion of flour to breadcrumbs is the same as found in the traditional recipe. However, like many authentic Italian pasta recipes, the original recipe does not recommend how much water to mix into the pasta. So, in our recipe, we’re going to do that!
See the recipe card (below) for ingredient quantities.
Make the Gnocchetti Pasta Dough
Mix together the flour and fine, unseasoned breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Use a sieve (setaccio in Italian) to do this if you’ve got one.
Add half of the lukewarm water to the dry ingredients. Mix the ingredients together with your hands. When that water is absorbed, add the rest of the water. Continue mixing by hand.
When the dough becomes a ball, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Briefly knead the dough by hand until the dough ball is smooth and all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
Cover the dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Stretch and Shape the Gnocchetti Pasta
After the pasta dough has rested, cut off about a third of the pasta dough. Keep the rest of the dough covered until you are ready to use it. This will prevent it from drying out.
Roll the palms of your hands on top of the piece of dough, stretching it. into a rope.
Stretch the rope of pasta until it is 1/2 cm (.2 in) in diameter . Use a pastry cutter or large knife to cut the pasta rope into pieces a bit longer than the diameter of the dough—about 1 cm (.4 in).
Make all of the dough into gnocchetti.
Dust all cut gnocchetti with flour to prevent them from sticking together. You can use all-purpose or semolina flour for dusting.
Boil the gnocchetti in salted water until they float to the surface—4-6 minutes. Buon appetito!
Traditional Gnocchetti Recipe (Little Gnocchi Without Potatoes)
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 pastry cutter or knife
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour all purpose or pastry
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs unseasoned
- 1 cup water lukewarm
- 1 pinch fine salt
Instructions
Make the Gnocchetti Pasta Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and fine, unseasoned breadcrumbs. Use a sieve to do this if you've got one.
- Add half of the lukewarm water to the dry ingredients, mixing the ingredients together with your hands. When that water is absorbed, add the rest of the water and continue mixing by hand.
- When the dough becomes a ball, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Briefly knead the dough by hand. Knead it until the dough ball is smooth and all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Stretch and Shape the Gnocchetti
- Cut off about a third of the pasta dough. Keep the rest of the dough covered until you are ready to use it to prevent it from drying out.
- Create a rope with the pasta dough by rolling the palms of your hands on top of the dough, stretching it.
- Stretch the rope of pasta until it is ½ cm (.2 in) in diameter. Use a pastry cutter or large knife to cut the pasta rope into pieces with a length of 1 cm (.4 in).
- Repeat these steps with the rest of the gnocchetti dough. Dust the finished gnocchetti with flour to prevent them from sticking together.
Cook the Gnocchetti
- Boil the gnocchetti in salted water until they float to the surface—4-6 minutes. Buon appetito!
