The gnocchi ‘ncotti with faux fennel sauce was the last recipe of the spring project ‘Tourism and Culture’ organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Rieti and Viterbo and the Special Company Centro Italia.
Chef Marco Ceccobelli from the Casaletto restaurant guided us through this recipe step by step, along with the talented Felice Arletti who explained the first two recipes of the project.
These gnocchi do not include the use of potatoes, which arrived in Italy only after the discovery of the Americas. Before the 15th century, gnocchi were made only with flour and water; eggs, which were always present in homes, were sometimes added. It is believed that even during Roman times gnocchi were consumed in this way, and it is historically proven that the first form of pasta consumed by humans was indeed the flour and water gnocco.
But let’s return to our dish, which is very quick to prepare and is made with boiling water. This way, the dough obtained will be soft and partially cooked. The resulting pasta is quite tenacious and holds up well during cooking.
The sauce we prepared is a simple tomato sauce enriched with a pinch of wild fennel flowers, the same we used in the ceciliani canepinesi recipe.
Here are some gnocchi recipes that I think are worth trying.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Gnocchi ‘ncotti
- 17.5 oz all-purpose flour (Molino Profili – Viterbo)
- 10.5 oz tomato puree
- 1 cup water (boiling)
- 1 tbsp celery, carrot, and onion
- 1/2 tsp dried fennel flowers
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- Saucepan
- Saucepan
- Worktop Board
Preparation of Gnocchi ‘ncotti
Pour the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and pour in the boiling water. Be very careful not to burn yourself as you start kneading with a fork. As soon as the dough is slightly cooler, place it on the worktop and continue to knead until smooth and soft.
Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for half an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the faux fennel sauce.
Prepare the chopped celery, carrots, and onion. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan, turn on the heat, and add the chopped mixture. Let it cook for a few minutes over low heat.
Add the tomato puree and continue cooking for 10 minutes, so the sauce thickens a bit.
Adjust the salt and add the fennel flowers. Stir and set aside.
Take the dough and form small logs. Cut the logs to form the gnocchi and, if you prefer, give them ridges with the tines of a fork.
You can arrange them on a cardboard tray with a little flour underneath or leave them on the worktop if you intend to cook them immediately.
Bring the water to a boil for the gnocchi.
Once boiling, salt the water and add the gnocchi. When they float to the surface, they are ready.
Drain the gnocchi and dress them with the wild fennel sauce. If you like, you can grate a little Parmigiano Reggiano before serving.
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