POTATO GNOCCHI w/WINE SAUCE

By BobD

Ingredients

• 8-10 SERVINGS
• 2 lb potatoes
• 3 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• Wine sauce
• EQUIPMENT: a potato ricer; a stand mixer fitted with dough hook
• ACCOMPANIMENT: grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from gourmet.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cover potatoes with cold water by 1 inch in a 4-qt saucepan and add 2 Tbsp salt, then simmer until tender. Drain.

When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and force through ricer into bowl of mixer.

Add 3 cups flour and egg and mix at low speed until dough comes together in a ball, about 5 minutes.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, about 5 minutes.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

Line several 4-sided sheet pans with wax paper and dust with flour.

Divide dough into 6 pieces. Keeping remaining dough covered with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth), roll 1 portion into 1/2-inch-thick rope, dusting your hands with flour if dough is sticky.

Cut rope crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then toss with flour to coat pieces completely.

Hold a fork at a 45-degree angle, curved side down with tips of tines touching work surface.

Working with 1 at a time, roll gnocchi down fork tines, pressing with your thumb, making ridges on 1 side. Gnocchi will curl. Transfer to sheet pans.

Cook gnocchi in batches in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 Tbsp salt for 6 qt water) until they float, then boil until tender, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to a platter and cover with some sauce as cooked.

COOKS NOTE: Uncooked gnocchi can be frozen (first in 1 layer, then transferred to a sealable plastic bag) up to 1 month. Do not thaw before cooking.

WINE SAUCE

SERVES 8 TO 10

2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lb sweet Italian sausage links, cut into thirds
1 lb hot Italian sausage links, cut into thirds
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
2 (28-oz) cans tomato purée
10 whole cloves
6 Turkish or 3 California bay leaves
2 cups dry red wine

Cook onions in oil in a wide 6-qt heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes.

Pat pork shoulder dry.

Push onions aside and reduce heat to medium, then brown pork on all sides.

Transfer pork to a bowl, then brown sausage in same manner and add to bowl.

Add 1 cup broth to onions in pot and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits.

Stir in tomato paste and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until thick, about 5 minutes.

Stir in tomato purée, cloves, bay leaves, and remaining 5 cups broth and simmer 30 minutes.

Add meat with its juices and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours.

Add wine and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Season with salt.

Discard bay leaves. Transfer meat to a bowl and serve meat and sauce with pasta.

COOKS’ NOTES:

You can substitute 3 lb country-style ribs for the pork shoulder (discard bones after cooking).

Sauce can be made 2 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).