Gnocco fritto is a delicious appetizer typical of Emilia-Romagna cuisine. It is a fried bread made from flour, water, yeast, and lard and usually accompanied by cold cuts or cheeses or served plain.
Soft, puffy, and tasty, this fried dumpling is a specialty with unmatched goodness. It seems to have been handed down to the Emilians by the Lombards during their domination, and depending on the area of the Emilia region, it takes on a different name: In the Modena and Reggio-Emilia areas, it is simply called gnocco fritto (al gnòc frétt, in dialect); in the Bologna area, it takes the name of crescentina; in the province of Ferrara, pinzino; in Parma, torta fritta; and in Piacentino, chisulén.
Like with any traditional recipe, there are several versions of gnocco fritto. Some prepare gnocco fritto without lard, and others even prefer baked gnocco for a lighter version.
The recipe below is the original Emilian gnocco fritto recipe as tradition dictates. It is a very easy preparation kneaded by hand without any use of a mixer. Just prepare a pre-dough batter and let it rise, which will result in a light and digestible product, then knead in additional flour and the lard. If you prefer a lighter version, you can replace the lard with butter or extra-virgin olive oil. After the dough has risen a second time, roll it out, cut the gnocchi into rhombuses or squares, and then fry them.
Perfect as an appetizer, gnocco fritto is usually stuffed with Italian cheeses and cold cuts. It is usually served with the delicious cured meats of its area of origin, such as prosciutto crudo di Parma, salame Felino, coppa Piacentina, and the delicious Culatello di Zibello, just to name a few.
But it is also perfect to serve instead of baked bread, a bit like the Neapolitan zeppole di pasta cresciuta.
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What do you mean when you say “stuff them with cold cuts or cheese”? I’m not sure how you open a fried piece of dough. Thank you.
Ciao Amin, you would slice them in the middle and place the cold cuts or cheese in between. When it’s not possible, you would place the cold cut or cheese on top of it.
Hello, how long will these keep for?
Ciao Julie – since it’s fried it is best to consume it right away, but you can probably eat it within a day.
We just made these on the other night. They are very crisp and light right out of the fryer but by the next morning, very soft(but still pretty delicous).
That’s great! Yes, gnocco fritto is better to be eaten right away as it’s fried, but still pretty delicious even the day after.