The potato gnocchi with guanciale sauce was the second recipe we prepared online for the ‘Turismo e Cultura dell’Alto Lazio’ project, organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Rieti and Viterbo and Special Company Centro Italia.
This time, we were guided by the talented Vittoria Tassoni, an expert Chef and food blogger, who on her blog Vittoria in cucina talks about the traditions of her land, the Tuscia.
This dish is really very simple to prepare, requiring very few ingredients that must be of the highest quality. We had the good fortune to use Leonessa potatoes, which need very little flour to turn into soft and tasty gnocchi. Our potatoes are kindly provided by Azienda Agricola Il Sambuco, by Ivan Cordisco.
Then the fragrant and tasty guanciale from Amatrice, which turned the tomato sauce into a real delight. Our guanciale is from Salumificio SaNo, Amatrician guanciale with a nice pepper coating on the side opposite the rind. Vittoria advised us not to throw away the rind, as it can be used to flavor soups and stews.
Here are some recipes from the project
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 766.71 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 88.09 (g) of which sugars 3.23 (g)
- Proteins 18.59 (g)
- Fat 39.64 (g) of which saturated 14.87 (g)of which unsaturated 20.65 (g)
- Fibers 6.46 (g)
- Sodium 806.18 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 390 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Potato Gnocchi with Guanciale Sauce
- 21 oz potatoes (from Leonessa)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 14 oz tomato puree (or peeled tomatoes)
- 7 oz guanciale (from Amatrice)
- 1 yellow onion (small)
- to taste salt
- to taste pecorino (grated)
Tools
- Potato Masher
Preparation of Potato Gnocchi with Guanciale Sauce
Boil the potatoes with the skin on and once cooked, let them cool slightly.
Meanwhile, while the potatoes cook, prepare the guanciale sauce.
Slice the guanciale thinly and then cut into strips. Finely chop the onion.
Place the guanciale in a large saucepan and let it brown over low heat until it becomes crispy.
Remove the guanciale from the pan and add the onion. Let it brown until it becomes transparent, then pour in the tomato sauce or peeled tomatoes crushed by hand. Let it cook for about thirty minutes to thicken the sauce. Add the crispy guanciale, keeping a little aside for garnish. Let it cook for another ten minutes to fully flavor the sauce. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
Prepare the gnocchi.
Mash the potatoes directly onto the work surface. There’s no need to remove the skin, as it will remain inside the potato masher and you’ll have only the clean pulp on the work surface.
Add as much flour as the potatoes require, kneading gradually, until you obtain a smooth and still soft dough. Do not add too much flour, or the gnocchi will become hard after cooking.
Form small cords and cut them into pieces about 3/4 inches long. Score them with the tines of a fork or with the specific tool if you have it, so they will hold the sauce better. As you proceed with the gnocchi, place them on a cardboard tray well dusted with flour to prevent them from sticking.
