Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Peas
At our home, when we were newly arrived immigrants, for Sunday dinner it was either gnocchi or garganelli with sugo. The sugo, a rich sauce, was made of either chicken or cubed veal or pork—all second cuts of meat—which created a first-class sauce. The sugo does take two to three hours to make, so, if you have no time for the sugo and have a good piece of Gorgonzola, try this sauce. It will take no more than ten minutes once you have the gnocchi done.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Boil the unpeeled potatoes in water to cover until tender. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and put them through a potato ricer or food mill. Spread the mashed potato out on a baking sheet, season with the salt, and let cool.
Step 2
When the potatoes are cooled, pour the beaten eggs over them and sprinkle with half of the flour. Gather the dough together and knead, adding more of the flour as needed, until the dough comes together and is not sticky. Don’t knead too much or add too much flour, or the gnocchi will be heavy.
Step 3
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the gnocchi. To make the gnocchi, cut the dough into three pieces. Keeping your hands and the work surface floured, roll one piece into a long snake, about 1/2 inch thick, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Step 4
Roll each piece lightly in the palms of your hands. Take each rolled piece of dough and, holding a fork with one hand at a 45-degree angle, using your thumb, press lightly on the piece of dough starting high on the inside tines of the fork. Roll the dough down the whole length of the tines to create a ridged gnocco with an indentation where your thumb was. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Dust the gnocchi with flour, and place them on floured baking sheets.
Step 5
For the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the cream and stock, and once the mixture simmers, scatter in the peas. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer, and cook until reduced to a creamy consistency, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Gorgonzola until it dissolves in the sauce. Keep the sauce warm while you cook the gnocchi.
Step 6
Shake the excess flour from the gnocchi, and drop them into the boiling water (don’t crowd them: depending on the size of the pot, you may want to cook in two batches). Once the gnocchi rise to the surface, simmer until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using a spider, move the gnocchi directly to the sauce. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce for a minute; add a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce (there should be just enough sauce to coat the gnocchi). Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss, and serve.
