Potato Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce
Potato gnocchi with Bolognese: why they're eaten on the 29th and why less flour makes them tender. A homey Italian-Mexican Sunday plate.
75 min
Medium
Casera / Italiana-Mexicana
4 servings
The story behind
Why do so many Italian and South American families eat gnocchi on the 29th of every month? Tradition holds it was an end-of-month dish for lean times, made from the humblest ingredients on hand: potato and flour. Potato gnocchi come from northern Italy, where the potato arrived and displaced older versions made only with flour or semolina. Here they are made with Mexican potatoes and paired with a rustic Bolognese, a homey meeting of two cuisines. The secret lies in the potato: it should be cooked and riced while hot, with as little flour worked in as possible. The more flour you add and the more you knead, the more gluten develops, and the tougher and chewier the gnocchi turn out; the goal is a tender dough that barely holds together. They boil in salted water and are ready the instant they float, the sign they are cooked through. A slow, thick Bolognese with cheese melted over the top turns them into a Sunday meal. Steam rising as you drain them smells of potato and butter.
Instructions
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11. Preparing the gnocchi base: In a large bowl, combine the warm mashed potato with the all-purpose flour and egg. Gently knead until a smooth, uniform dough forms.
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22. Shaping: Divide the dough into portions and roll them into 2cm diameter cylinders. Cut into 2cm pieces and gently mark them with a fork or wooden pastry stamp, achieving that traditional finish.
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33. Cooking: Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, until they float to the surface.
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44. Sauce and presentation: In a large pot, sauté the red onion and sweetcorn in a little oil, achieving that homemade yet professional flavor. Add the thick Bolognese sauce and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the cooked gnocchi and gently mix.
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55. Finishing: Serve a generous portion on a plate. Top with coarsely grated queso fresco and heavy cream.
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