· recipe ·
Ground Beef Gnocchi in Creamy Tomato Sauce
A quick ground-beef sauce is built around small crumbles and a short tomato simmer. It is intentionally different from a slow ragù, where longer cooking changes both the meat texture and tomato concentration.
Time and servings
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 95 min
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- about 410
- Protein
- 23 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
Cook the potatoes
Choose either boiling or baking. Boiled potatoes make a softer, moister dough; baked potatoes make a drier dough that usually needs less flour. To boil, put the whole unpeeled potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, until a thin knife slides easily into the center, then drain them well. To bake, heat the oven to 425°F220°C, scrub and pierce the potatoes, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until tender.
Prepare the sauce ingredients
While the potatoes cook, mince the garlic, open the crushed tomatoes, measure the cream, and break the ground beef into several large pieces so it can brown rather than steam.
Mash the potatoes
Peel the potatoes while they are warm. Pass them through a potato ricer, or mash them with a potato masher until no lumps remain. Spread the potato out briefly to let the steam escape.
Mix the dough
Add the yolk, 1/2 tsp3 g of the salt, and 1 cup120 g of the flour to the warm potato. Mix gently until no dry flour remains. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add flour a spoonful at a time until it is soft and slightly tacky. You may not need all the flour.
Roll and cut the ropes
Divide the dough into portions. Roll each into a rope about 3/4 inch2 cm thick and cut it into 3/4 inch2 cm pieces, using only enough flour to prevent sticking.
Carpentry Dynasty gnocchi boards15% off with code WOFG15Shop on Amazon →Add the ridges
Roll each piece over a gnocchi board to create beautiful, well-defined ridges that help the sauce cling. A fork can make simple grooves.
Brown the ground beef
Put the beef in the cold skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Leave the large pieces undisturbed for 2 minutes, then break them into small crumbles. Cook until browned and the thickest crumbles reach 160°F71°C, 7 to 9 minutes. Spoon off excess fat if it pools, then add the garlic, pepper, and about half of up to 1/2 tspup to 3 g of the salt for 30 seconds.
Heat the cooking water
Bring about 3 quartsabout 3 liters of water and 2 tsp12 g of the salt to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Make the sauce in the next step while the water heats.
Simmer the tomato cream sauce
Add the crushed tomatoes, lower the heat, and simmer for 6 minutes, until slightly reduced. Stir in the cream and return to a quiet simmer for 2 minutes. Taste and add the remaining sauce salt only if needed.
Poach the gnocchi
Slide the gnocchi into the gently simmering water and stir once. Reserve 1/2 cup120 ml cooking water, then lift the gnocchi as they float and transfer them directly to the skillet.
Coat and serve
Fold the gnocchi through the sauce over low heat for 1 minute. If needed, add reserved cooking water 1 Tbsp15 ml at a time until the sauce coats without becoming soupy. Serve immediately.
