My Word with Douglas E. Welch

This is one of our Recipes in Rotation — items we make on a monthly (or so) basis. I used pre-made gnocchi for this yesterday, b often make fresh gnocchi when making this for friends. Gnocchi is one of the easiest pastas to make and can give you the confidence to make different pastas— Douglas

Gnocchi alla Ciociaria

Ingredients

• 1 pound russet potatoes
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced Finely chopped bacon works in a pinch
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
• 4 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from casing
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (16-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Freshly grated pecorino romano

Instructions

Place the whole potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook at a low boil until they are soft, about 45 minutes. While still warm, peel the potatoes and pass them through a vegetable mill onto a clean pasta board.

The pasta sauce will take just about as long to cook as the gnocchi takes to make, so get the sauce started and bubbling away and then make the gnocchi.

For sauce…

In a 12 to 14-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the pancetta, garlic, onion, celery, carrot, parsley and the sausage meat and cook over high heat until sausage and vegetables are browned. Add the red wine, let it evaporate, then add the tomatoes and the pepper flakes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and lower heat to a simmer. Let cook for 45 minutes.

For gnocchi…

Make a well in the center of the potatoes and sprinkle all over with the flour. Break the egg into the center of the well, add the salt, and, using a fork, stir into the flour and potatoes as if you were making pasta. Once the egg is mixed in, bring the dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes, until ball is dry to the touch.

Divide the dough into 2 large balls. Roll each ball into 3/4 inch-diameter ropes and cut the ropes into 1-inch-long pieces. Flick the pieces off of a fork or along the concave side of a cheese grater to score the sides. Drop the dough pieces into the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 1 minute. 

Once the sauce is thickened to the proper consistency, cook the gnocchi f in the boiling water until they float aggressively. Drain the gnocchi and add to the simmering sauce. Toss very gently over heat 30 seconds to coat, then divide evenly among 4 warmed pasta bowls. Top with freshly grated pecorino and serve.