Gorgonzola is Italy's oldest documented blue cheese, with records of production in the town of Gorgonzola (near Milan) dating to at least the 11th century, though some accounts push the origin to the 9th century. For centuries it was a local Lombardy product; industrial production expanded its reach in the 19th century and it earned DOP protection in 1996. The pairing of Gorgonzola with potato gnocchi is a Lombard and Piedmontese tradition that capitalizes on the cheese's intense umami — the mild, starchy gnocchi absorbs the sauce while the blue funk stays in the foreground.
Cheffy’s note
Gorgonzola dolce and Gorgonzola piccante are different cheeses. Dolce is younger, creamier, milder — it melts beautifully into a sauce. Piccante is aged, crumbly, and intensely pungent — better crumbled as a finish than cooked into a cream. For this dish, use dolce. If you can only find the standard Gorgonzola at your store, taste it: if it's very sharp, cut it with extra cream. The sauce should be bold, not assaulting.
