There are many types of gnocchi, although not all of them seem to have enough features in common to fit into the same food group.
The gnocchi proper, or those made from potatoes and wheat flour type 00, historically derive from another preparation called "zanzarelli", respectively composed of stale bread, almonds and dried fruit. Later, these evolved into "malfatti", instead formulated with wheat flour, water and chicken eggs.
A contemporary recipe rather similar to the ancient zanzarelli is that of the canederli; frequently framed as real meatballs, they look like big spherical dumplings made from stale bread, milk, eggs, meats, cheeses, flour, etc.
In order of popularity, remaining in the national context, other rather common gnocchi are the Roman style, or the semolina gnocchi. These, often of discoid or quenelle shape, are made from a mixture of semolina, eggs, milk, cheese, butter and spices. After shaping the gnocchi alla romana, they should be seasoned and baked au gratin.
All the dumplings that use the same process as the traditional ones can be grouped into a single category (mixture of boiled potatoes, mashed and mixed with flour, preformed and cooked in boiling water before being seasoned); among these we recognize: pumpkin gnocchi, eggplant gnocchi, American potato gnocchi, gnocchi di rapa etc. Recipes that include the addition of potatoes differ from the last category; there are also some gnocchi based on alternative flours (corn, tapioca, amaranth, etc.).
In the course of spreading also in the western territory, the Chinese rice flour dumplings are rather well-known also among the less inclined to Asian cuisine. These contain not only rice flour, but also wheat flour and water.
Although equally famous, they have nothing to do with the group of "soft gnocchi" the "gnocchetti sardi", which are part of the "pasta" group.
