GNOCCHETTI alla AMATRICIANA

By BobD

Ingredients

• 8 SERVINGS
• TINY POTATO DUMPLINGS WITH TOMATO, ONION, AND GUANCIALE SAUCE
• Our gnocchetti are lighter than most because they don't contain egg; the richness comes from the tomato guanciale sauce.
• FOR SAUCE
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 oz guanciale or pancetta, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 (28- to 32-oz) can plum tomatoes, drained (reserving juice) and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• FOR GNOCCHETTI
• 1 1/2 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• ACCOMPANIMENT: finely grated Pecorino Romano
• SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: a potato ricer

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from gourmet.com

Preparation

Step 1

MAKE SAUCE:

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute guanciale and onion, stirring, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes.

Add garlic and saute stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes with reserved juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

MAKE GNOCCHETTI:

Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 2 inches in a large pot, then simmer, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes.

Drain in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, peel.

Force warm potatoes through ricer into a large bowl.

Add flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to come together. Gently form dough into a ball and cut in half.

Knead each dough half on a floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute (if dough sticks to surface, dust lightly with additional flour).

Cut each half evenly into 10 pieces. Roll 1 piece into a 14-inch-long rope (1/2 inch thick), keeping remaining pieces covered with a kitchen towel.

Cut rope crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and toss pieces lightly with flour on work surface.

Press a piece of dough against tines of a floured fork and push with a floured thumb in a forward rolling motion toward end of tines, letting gnocchetti fall from fork into a well-floured shallow baking pan. Make more gnocchetti in same manner.

Just before cooking, gently shake gnocchetti in 4 batches in a large medium-mesh sieve to knock off excess flour.

Cook gnocchetti in 4 batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until they float, about 1 minute.

Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large shallow bowl as cooked and spoon some sauce on top.

COOKS NOTES:

Sauce can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before proceeding.

Gnocchetti can be formed (but not cooked) 1 week ahead and frozen in floured baking pan, covered, until hard, about 3 hours, then put in a sealed plastic bag. Do not thaw before cooking. Boil frozen gnocchetti about 2 minutes.