Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Tomato and Pancetta Sauce with Borlotti Beans
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 oz pancetta, minced
- 1 rosemary sprig, chopped
- 4 large sage leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 3/4 cups canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed through a food mill or sieve
- 2 cups drained cooked borlotti (cranberry) beans, cooking liquid reserved
Bread gnocchi
- 2 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs, finely ground
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 18 oz (4 cups) all-purpose or tipo 00 flour
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta along with the herbs and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf and onion and cook until the onion is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until the paste turns a deep red and smells very sweet and savory, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the beans with their liquid to the sauce. Simmer the sauce until it is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Keep the sauce warm or let it cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Mound the flour on a clean surface. Create a well in the center and place the eggs and the soaked bread crumbs in the well. Using a fork, start dragging the flour into the egg–bread crumb mixture. Once the flour is evenly moistened, knead well by hand on a floured surface until all of the ingredients are well combined and the dough seems smooth and elastic, 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a covered bowl and let it rest for at least 10 minutes
- Divide the dough in 2 or 3 pieces and roll it into small logs, about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut the dough into pieces about the size of a bean. Using the tip of your thumb, press each piece of dough. Pull your thumb back and up in a quick motion, releasing the gnocchi. Once shaped, the gnocchi can be reserved on a floured baking sheet, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi all at once and stir to submerge and separate them. Cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil until the gnocchi rise to the surface and are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes depending on their size. (To be certain, taste one of the gnocchi.)
- Using a slotted spoon, lift the cooked gnocchi out of the water and transfer them to a large heated bowl. Add some of the tomato and pancetta sauce and toss the gnocchi to coat well. Serve the gnocchi with additional sauce on top and pass the cheese on the side.
