The Pasta Encyclopedia: Gnocchetti

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Gnocchetti is a tightly curved pasta with a grooved exterior, historically made by pressing pasta dough on the bottom of a wicker basket. Not to be confused with the commonly known gnocchi dumpling, Gnochetti, a classic pasta of Sardinia, where it’s also called “malloreddus” or “fat little calves” in Sardinian dialect. Historically, Gnocchetti was tinted with a bit of the island region’s local saffron in the dough for a deeper golden color, perhaps to add the appearance of egg yolk. The deep grooves of the pasta pair perfectly with rich, flavorful meaty sauces, like this one. Barilla’s Gnocchetti is part of the Collezione line of bronze-die pastas, giving it an authentic homemade texture.