It is for rolling gnocci - it adds the ridges. Of course, you can also use a fork, but these are really easy to use. I was given one my a wonderful CF friend a while ago

:-)

Alexa

I agree with Alexa!

Thank you Alexa and jojoco!!!!! My friend is thrilled to know!!! You guys are awesome!!!

Trudy

I've also seen butter paddles that looked like that. For rolling small balls of butter (back in the days when people did stuff like that) to serve with a butter pick and for guests to put on their bread and butter plate - of course.

Teresa

I thought it was a butter paddle too. I have a pair of them and that's what I use them for. I roll a ball of butter between the two paddles and the butter ball gets a bumpy surface on it. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Lehman's - Grooved Butter Paddles

I've never seen a gnocci maker, but I agree that it surely does look like a butter paddle.

I think that one is for rolling gnocchi. My favorite food of all time. Usually the butter paddles are a bit wider.

Here is confirmation that it is a butter paddle.

Here is a link that might be useful: butter paddle listing on etsy

All the demonstrations that I have seen of gnocchi making have used the tines of a fork to put the grooves on each piece of pasta.

When I got mine as a gift, I thought it was a butter paddle too, but I was assured it is a gnocci maker..... hmmmmmm.

Alexa

Alexa, rest assured the one I sent you is a gnocci board, also known as a gnocci paddle. I picked it up from a tiny shop in Amalfi. I learned about gnocci boards while I was in Amalfi for a week long cooking adventure. Our teacher, chef Enrico Franzese, preferred the boards to forks. Perhaps in the US people use forks because the gnocci boards are less known. It seems that the difference between the two are that the butter paddle is made out of a single piece of wood while the gnocciboard has an attached handle.
I think they are pretty interchangeable and some people don't seem to know the difference anyhow, as evidenced by the following link.
jo

Here is a link that might be useful: tomayto/tomahto

For comparison's sake, here is a gnocci paddle/board. Notice you could easily use it for butter.

Here is a link that might be useful: gnocci paddle/board

Very similar, but different thicknesses and different handles - and technically, you need 2 butter paddles but only one implement for the gnocchi. Right? Thanks - I learned something today!

Teresa

Jo - I certainly believe you - I just think they look identical and could be used interchangeably and had no idea how to tell them apart. And truthfully, I'm not sure I could tell them apart even now! LOL!

A

I believe the gnocchi board has shallower grooves because it's just "for pretty" while the butter paddles have deeper grooved to get rid of the excess moisture as you roll the butter.
But I can't help think that gnocci boards were originally the paddles they used for working the butter.
Linda c

I was about to ask what the point is in making grooves in butter, but LindaC just answered that question. Thanks, Linda.

I'm still having a hard time picturing out it's done, though.

Sally