Meet one of your favorite Italian dishes paired with one of the best pastas of all time: gnocchi bolognese.
Ingredients
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil
2large carrots, peeled and diced
1medium yellow onion, diced
2ribs celery, diced
1lb.ground beef, pork, or a combination of both
1cupchicken stock or cooking wine
14oz.whole, peeled san marzano tomatoes
1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
32oz.gnocchi
parmiggiano reggiano & basil for garnish
Instructions
In a large dutch oven, warm the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and sautee until soft and cooked, about 10 minutes. If the onions begin to brown, lower heat. Add the ground meat and break up with a wooden spoon as you cook. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook until the stock almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Pulse the tomatoes for a few seconds in a food processor or crush them by hand. Add tomatoes and salt to dutch oven and cook on low for a minimum of 10 minutes and up to 3 hours.
While the bolognese sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Liberally salt with kosher salt or sea salt. Cook the gnocchi for 1-2 minutes, just until it's done (it will float when it's cooked). Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, strain the gnocchi so it stops cooking, and set aside.
Taste the bolognese and add more salt if needed. Add 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the bolognese sauce and let it cook for a minute or two. Toss the gnocchi and bolognese sauce together, and add more pasta water if needed. The longer the sauce was cooked, the more starchy pasta water it will require to make it smooth and saucy (but not runny!). Top gnocchi bolognese with a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately.