Those who know me, know I love food -- I love to figure out how recipes are made, recreate what I've had in restaurants, or do a mash-up and come up with a totally new recipe. The other thing about me is I love easy, no fuss, full flavor!
So what do you get when you slightly tweak Jamie Oliver's rustic gnocchi and marry it to a savory Tuscan sausage and fennel ragu? Well, it's almost nirvana -- but you be the judge :)
As the weather starts to cool, we shift our ingredients to warm, earthy, and smoky flavor profiles. This recipe uses what you probably have in the pantry and garden, but are also readily available at any market.
Shall we?
Here what you will need:
For the Gnocchi:
1 lb Potatoes (ideally Russett or baking potato -- for this recipe I used Yukon Gold as I love the flavor and creamy texture)
1/8 cup plain flour
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese for garnish
For the Ragu:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
6 large Italian sausages, roughly chopped into chunks
2 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes
1/3 cup red wine
500g jar Passata (you can also substitute with Marinara or whole/crushed tomatoes passed through a sieve -- but Passata provides the best flavor)
Small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped to garnish
Let's make some gnocchi:
Wash the potatoes, chop into 1 inch chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or until tender.
Drain the potatoes and steam dry for 2 minutes, then return to the pan and mash well.
Taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then tip on to a clean work surface.
Evenly distribute the flour over the potatoes and use your hands to scrunch the flour with the potato.
Depending on how small or large you like your gnocchi, take the mashed potato and squeeze each piece in your palm to compress, into little uneven gnocchi, set aside.
Fill the empty pan with boiling kettle water with salt and place on a high heat. Once boiling, reduce down to keep hot while you make the ragu.
Now for the Ragu:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over a low heat.
Add the onion and garlic and fry for 8 minutes until soft, then remove to a bowl.
Increase the heat, add the remaining oil and fry the sausages until browned all over (don’t worry if their skins come off).
Stir in the fennel seeds and chilli and cook for 2 minutes.
Return the onion and garlic to the pan, then add the wine and bubble for a few minutes until evaporated.
Stir in the passata and season well.
Simmer for another 5 minutes until the sausages are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. If you need to thin out the sauce, add a bit of the pasta water until you have the desired consistency.
Time to pull it all together:
Bring the pan of salted water back to a boil.
Add the gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface (about a 1-2 minutes).
Drain well and let sit for 5-10 minutes to dry and firm up.
Add gnocchi to the sausage ragù. Spoon among plates, sprinkle with parsley, parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Notes:
For a bolognese-style ragù, skin the sausages and break up with a spoon.
You can also pan fry the gnocchi once it has been cooked, drained, and dried for a firmer texture and slightly crisp outer chew.
You can also freeze the ragu: cool and freeze for up to 3 months in an air tight container.
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