Potato

The potato is the starchy tuber of Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a vegetable; in the pasta world it is the main ingredient of potato gnocchi. The plant comes from the Andes of South America, reached Europe in the 16th century and is now one of the world's most important food crops; according to FAO, China and India grow the most potatoes, and Ukraine is also among the largest producers.

A raw potato is about 79% water; per 100 g it provides about 17 g of carbohydrate, mostly starch, about 2 g of protein, as well as potassium and vitamin C (USDA FoodData Central). Varieties differ in starch: floury potatoes fall apart when cooked, waxy ones keep their shape.

For gnocchi, floury potatoes are boiled or steamed in their skins, peeled while hot and mashed, then kneaded with wheat flour and sometimes egg; home recipes often use about 1 kg of potatoes to 250–300 g of flour. Too much flour makes gnocchi heavy, while watery potatoes make them fall apart. Industrial gnocchi follow the same idea: De Cecco makes gnocchi with 80% fresh potato, Granoro uses steamed Italian potatoes, and Rummo, Garofalo and Divella also make potato gnocchi and small chicche.

Potato starch, extracted from the tubers, is also used in some gluten-free pasta, for example by Garofalo.

The potato itself contains no gluten, but classic gnocchi do because of the wheat flour, so people with coeliac disease need versions labelled "gluten-free". Store potatoes cool and dark; green parts and sprouts contain solanine and should be cut away.