‘I’m going to be very cautious about buying gnocchi from now on’: the best (and worst) supermarket gnocchi, tasted and rated

Gnocchi are a godsend – my children love them – but I was shocked by the quality on offer here. Of the products I tested, 80% were made from reconstituted dried potato flakes, emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), stabilisers (diphosphates) and preservatives (sodium metabisulphate). Most came in non-recyclable packaging, too – that’s simply not real food, and unnecessary when you consider that similar long-life products are made with real potato and few preservatives. I’m going to be very cautious about buying gnocchi from now on.

Gnocchi are generally slathered in sauce, so I’d never tried them plain before, but doing so revealed their true nature, as did studying the ingredients labels. Also, I was taught to cook gnocchi until they floated, which usually takes only a minute when you make them from scratch, but most manufacturers advise boiling them for two or three minutes, not until they floated, which left me wondering whether they were even cooked at all.

The best supermarket gnocchi

Best overall:
Dell’Ugo fresh potato gnocchi

★★★★☆

Moist, tube-shaped gnocchi that are firm to the bite and have a clean potato flavour and uniform doughy texture. A refreshingly simple recipe formula made from fresh potatoes, flour, salt and sunflower oil, and a heritage brand from 1929. They floated when ready. Recycle packaging in store.

Best bargain:
Rummo gnocchi di patate

★★★★☆

Small gnocchi with a dry exterior, and made with 80% real potatoes(!), as well as durum wheat semolina; there’s an acidity regulator (lactic acid) and preservative (sorbic acid), too. A firm, squishy and familiar texture, but a slightly sour flavour. They floated. Packaging not widely recycled.

And the rest …

Bertagni gnocchi di patate

★★★☆☆

Irregular, oval gnocchi with a nice, dry exterior, a soft texture and a satisfactorily chewy bite. Made with 70% rehydrated potatoes, preservative and acidity regulator. A neutral potato flavour. A three-minute cooking time, and only some of them floated. Nonrecyclable packaging.

De Cecco gnocchi di patate

★★★☆☆

The only ambient-stored product I tried, with an extra-long shelf life of up to 12 months. Dry, misshapen ovals, very firm and chewy, and with a good bite. Neutral in flavour. Made with 24% dehydrated potato flakes, acidity regulator and preservative. Floated partially. Packaging requires specialist recycling.

★★★☆☆

A classic, plump gnocchi with a clearly ribbed exterior. The only product with instructions to cook until they floated (which took three minutes). A softer texture, as a result, but enjoyable and fluffy with a reasonably neutral flavour. Nonrecyclable packaging.

La Famiglia Rana traditional potato gnocchi

★★☆☆☆

Classic, oval gnocchi with a ribbed exterior. Made with potato flakes, citric acid and preservative; nice to see durum wheat semolina in the mix, though. A fluffy, even texture, nice bounce, and they floated, but they also have a sour, acidic flavour. Packaging recycling guidelines not easily visible.

Waitrose gnocchi

★☆☆☆☆

Rotund, oval gnocchi with a dry exterior. Firm, uniform and chewy, with an unappetising, synthetic flavour. Made with dried potato, acidity regulator, preservative and flavouring. A three-minute cooking time, but they did float. Nonrecyclable packaging.

Morrisons Italian gnocchi

★☆☆☆☆

A classic ribbed oval gnocchi with a floury exterior. Made from dried potato, emulsifier, preservative, stabiliser and other additives. A nice, firm, uniform and bouncy texture, but the flavour was slightly sour and unappetising. These floated, too. Nonrecyclable packaging.

Sainsbury’s fresh gnocchi

★☆☆☆☆

Oval, ribbed gnocchi, and a bit moist in the packet. Made with very low potato content (20%), including dehydrated potato, plus flours (wheat, corn, durum wheat semolina) and preservative. Plump, squishy pillows with a neutral flavour, but only half of them floated. Nonrecyclable packaging.

Tesco gnocchi

★☆☆☆☆

A deeply ribbed, oval gnocchi, like rotund witchetty grubs. Dry and firm, and made with dried potato and dried skimmed milk. A soft, chewy texture and a taste of instant mash. Did not float. Packaging recycled in-store only.

For more, read the best supermarket spaghetti and the best frying pans for every kind of cook