Crispy Potato Gnocchi With Pastrami Ragu Recipe 475

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Poke the potatoes all over with a fork and place them on a baking sheet. Let them roast in the oven for about an hour until they are fork tender. Make sure to really put your fork all the way through and make sure they are done. Give them more time in the oven if they need it. Set up a food mill or ricer over a bowl and immediately press the potatoes while they are hot from the oven. (My food mill catches the skins, but if yours doesn't, peel the skin before ricing the potatoes). Spread the riced potatoes all over a baking sheet and let them cool. To make the gnocchi dough, mix the riced potatoes with the flour, eggs, and salt, and knead gently until it forms a dough. It will be quite sticky. Divide the gnocchi dough into four even pieces. On a well floured surface, roll each gnocchi quarter into a long rope, then cut little pieces off with a knife or bench scraper. Spread the gnocchi out on a floured sheet pan and refrigerate for one hour. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, and season it heavily with salt, just like you would a pasta water. Prepare an ice bath as well. Boil the gnocchi for a minute or two, and remove them as soon as they float to the surface.Let them cool off in the ice bath for 15 seconds, then remove them to dry on a towel, then transfer the gnocchi to a bowl and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi dough until it's all cooked. Heat up 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat, and add the onion and celery. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until translucent and soft. Add the chopped pastrami and bump the heat up to medium high. Cook for 10 more minutes, until the pastrami starts to brown like bacon bits. Taste the mixture to season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the contents from the pan. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium to medium high heat, and pan fry the gnocchi for a few minutes on each side, until richly browned. Serve with the pastrami mixture sprinkled on top, and garnish with chives. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, pancetta, prosciutto, and garlic and sauté until mixture begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add ground chuck and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with fork, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup stock, mushrooms, and sage. Simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 3 cups stock, 1 cup at a time, simmering until liquid is almost absorbed before adding more. Mix in tomato paste, then tomatoes with juices. Simmer until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally and thinning with about 1 cup water every 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours (sauce will be medium-thick consistency). (Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead.Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover; keep refrigerated.)
• Steam potatoes over boiling water until tender, about 12 minutes. Working in batches, press warm potatoes through ricer into large bowl (or place warm potatoes in large bowl and mash finely with potato masher). Cool until lukewarm, about 10 minutes. Add egg, cream, salt, and nutmeg and blend well. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix until soft and slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if too moist.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Divide into 6 equal portions. Gently roll 1 dough portion between hands and work surface to 3/4-inch-thick rope about 20 inches long. Cut into 3/4-inch-long pieces.
• Roll each piece over wires of slender whisk or dinner fork to make grooves in gnocchi. Arrange gnocchi in single layer on floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 5 dough portions.
• Cook 1/3 of gnocchi in large pot of boiling generously salted water until gnocchi rise to top and are cooked through and tender, about 5 minutes (check at 4 minutes). Using large strainer or slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to large baking pan; arrange gnocchi in single layer. Cook remaining gnocchi in 2 batches. (Gnocchi can be prepared ahead. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.)
• SERVING:
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook until heated through, tossing often, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rewarm ragù over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle ragù into large shallow bowls. Spoon gnocchi over. Using vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan cheese over gnocchi.
• Garnish with fresh sage, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• In a large (12-inch) skillet on the stovetop, heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (about 1 tablespoon) over medium-high. Add half the gnocchi to the pan, breaking up any that are stuck together. Cover with a lid or baking sheet and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi and olive oil.
• Add the butter to the skillet and cook over medium-high, stirring often, until golden-brown and toasty, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper, reducing the heat slightly if necessary to avoid scorching. Add the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons water and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened and the liquid has slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Smash the tomatoes as they burst to help them along.
• Add the seared gnocchi and 1/4 cup basil (if using), stir to coat, then shake into an even layer. Top with the mozzarella and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Top with more basil, red-pepper flakes and black pepper as desired.

Steps:

• Boil whole unpealed potatoes until they are soft, about 40 minutes. Peel the potatoes while they are still warm. Pass the potatoes through a vegetable mill or a potato ricer onto a clean counter or board. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and sprinkle all over with flour, using all the flour. Place egg and salt in the center of the well and using a fork, stir into flour and potatoes, just like making normal pasta. Once the egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to the touch. Roll baseball sized ball of dough into 3/4 inch diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1 inch long pieces. Flick pieces off of the tines of a fork with your thumb creating a small indention on one side of 1 inch piece and the other will have tine impressions. Drop about 5 to 6 pieces into boiling water until they float to the top about 1 minute. Remove and either shock them in an ice bath or let them rest in a glass baking dish, tossed lightly with olive oil. Continue to cook the rest. You can serve them with meat sauce or Parmesan and brown butter, or a delicious Alfredo sauce. Gnocchi can be stored covered in the refrigerator up to 48 hours until ready to serve.