Difficult to spell, tougher to pronounce, and almost impossible to get just right, gnocchi are certainly more persnickety than other starchy Italian staples like pasta or risotto. But these classic dumplings are well worth a closer look!

Gnocchi are perhaps the unsung hero of the Italian carb set, with a long, illustrious history that (spoiler alert!) predates that of pasta. With myriad forms ranging from the well-known potato iteration to variations made with everything from ricotta to semolina to cauliflower, these little dumplings, while often framed as a tasty stand-in for pasta, can actually more than stand on their own two feet.