Gnocchi are various thick, soft pastas that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg, and cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, or similar ingredients. Like many Italian dishes, there is considerable variation in recipes and names across different regions. For example, the Tuscan malfatti literally poorly made are a sort of flour, ricotta, and spinach gnocchi; the Pugliese cavatielli are flour-based, and so on. Gnocchi are eaten as a first course primo piatto, as an alternative to soups minestre or pasta. They are generally home-made in Italian and diaspora Italian households. They may also be bought fresh from speciality stores. In supermarkets, industrially produced packaged gnocchi are widely available refrigerated, dried, or frozen. Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter sometimes fried butter with sage, pesto, and various sauces.