Gnocchi a la Amatriciano (Gnocchi with Tomato, Onion and Pancetta)
Gnocchi intimidates many but really shouldn’t. Not counting the potato cooking time, it is just a quick mix on a smooth surface, an equally quick knead and shaping the dough into snakes similar to molding with play doh as a kid. Give them a quick cut, add some ridges and a float in a hot bath. Viola! Tender gnocchi. I have included some photos below to demonstrate the process.
While not completely necessary, there are a few tools which will make your gnocchi making easier much easier. The first is a potato ricer. A ricer is great for a couple of reasons. There is no need to peel the potatoes as the ricer pushes the potatoes through the holes in the bottom but the skins stay in the tube. It is also important because it creates light and airy potatoes as opposed to mashing by hand. Once you have potatoes this way, I doubt you will ever go back. They always come out light and airy and mashed potatoes are a breeze.
A bench scraper, while not a necessity, makes for quick cutting of the gnocchi. I think you get into a better rhythm than with a knife. Finally, a gnocchi board. The gnocchi board (think miniature cutting board) is ridged. As you roll the individual gnocchi down the board, these ridges are pressed into the dough. While not a necessity the ridges give the sauce a place to cling to. You can use a fork to create the same ridges but I find it a little harder to make it quickly through a batch of dough when using a fork. If you employ the Alton Brown rule of the multi task requirement for a kitchen gadget, then use the fork. While I love Alton, I don’t subscribe to the rule and adore my board!
The recipe I chose was as a result of what today means for this little blog. It is Magazine Monday so I have to choose a magazine recipe from my pile of untried recipes. It is National Pig Day on the Quirky Calendar so naturally I have to use some part of a pig in the dish. Finally, it is Gourmet, Unbound reveal day where a Gourmet magazine recipe from March of any year must be tested and reviewed. I drove myself a little crazy looking for the perfect combination for this momentous Triple Threat occasion. With some tweaks, I think I found it.
The sauce was good but I don’t think it had enough punch. I would add some heat next time in the form of crushed red pepper flakes. The gnochetti (baby gnocchi) were a trial for me for a couple of reasons. I am not a patient woman. Gnocchetti take too long and gnocchi are perfectly acceptable to me. The real problem was I normally make my ghocchi with egg yolks or alternatively, with a bit of spinach or basil which acts as a binder. These were just potatoes and flour and I found them a bit daunting. Maybe if I hadn’t had lots of success with other recipes and had learned to make eggless gnocchi the first time around, these wouldn’t have seemed such a failure. My MIL makes spaetzle with eggs, my grandmother made dumplings with eggs and I make gnocchi with eggs. I would recommend if you are a newbie to this gnocchi making thingie, you add an egg yolk to this recipe. Or, if you are feeling adventuresome, go eggless.
But down to business. Here is the recipe with a few tweaks I will make when I do this again.
TINY POTATO DUMPLINGS WITH TOMATO, ONION AND PANCETTA SAUCE Gourmet March 2003
1 tbsp olive oil
5 ounces pancetta, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 large red onion, finely chopped (1 1/4 cups) I used a white onion
1 small clove garlic, minced I used two cloves
28 ounce can plum tomatoes, finely chopped with juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes – my recommendation
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus additional as necessary
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk – my recommendation
Cover potatoes with salted cold water and simmer, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes. Cut in half and allow to sit for a few minutes.
Push potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl or a smooth work area. Allow potatoes to sit for about 10 minutes (to allow excess moisture out and to prevent eggs from cooking) Add flour, salt and egg yolk and combine until mixture begins to come together. Gently form dough into a ball and cut into pieces.
Knead each piece of dough about 1 minute. Then begin to form and roll until until you form a snake shape. Cut into pieces about and toss lightly with flour . Press a piece of dough onto the gnocchi board or the back of a fork. Continue shaping, cutting and rolling gnocchi until all of the dough is used up.
Just before cooking, gently shake gnocchi to knock off excess flour. Cook in batches in boiling salted water until they float, just a few minutes. Transfer with a spoon or spider to a large shallow bowl and spoon some sauce on top.
Notes: Gnocchi do not sit out well and become very sticky and gooey. Either keep refrigerated in a single layer or, if you don’t plan on cooking them shortly after making them, they can be frozen for a month. Cook frozen gnocchi as directed in recipe.
Heat oil in a heavy pot and saute pancetta and onion, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with reserved juices, water, sugar and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. I would add about 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes with the tomatoes for some heat.
Your gnocchi are beautiful! The gnocchi board is clearly worth it! I have always used a fork but I might have to get a board. Yum!
Every time I see a Gourmet recipe I feel a little sad. I miss that magazine. Your presentation photos are fabulous!