· recipe ·
Homemade Gnocchi Bolognese Bake
Baking gnocchi is a format rather than a single canonical dish. It has the same practical appeal as baked pasta, and the pan can go straight from the oven to the table.
Time and servings
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 70 min
- Additional
- 5 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- about 510
- Protein
- 31 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 51 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 30 to 40 minutes, until a thin knife slides easily into the center, then drain them. To bake, pierce the potatoes and bake at 425°F220°C for 60 to 75 minutes, until tender.
Make the beef ragù
While the potatoes cook, finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery, mince the garlic, and crush the tomatoes with their juice. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, milk, 1/2 cup120 ml water, bay leaf, oregano, 1/2 tsp3 g of the salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes. When the sauce coats a spoon, turn off the heat and cover until the gnocchi are shaped.
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 1/2 inch1.3 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.
Heat the cooking water
Bring 3 quarts3 liters of water and 2 1/2 tsp15 g of the salt to a boil. Finish the ragù and heat the oven while the water heats.
Finish the ragù and heat the oven
While the cooking water heats, heat the oven to 400°F205°C and return the ragù to a gentle simmer. Remove the bay leaf. If the ragù is too thick to coat the gnocchi, add water 2 Tbsp30 ml at a time, using up to 1/2 cupup to 120 ml. Taste and add up to 1/4 tspup to 1.5 g of the remaining salt only if needed.
Cook the gnocchi
Lower the boiling water to a gentle simmer. Slide in the gnocchi and stir once. Lift them as they float and transfer them directly to the hot ragù. Fold gently to coat.
Assemble the casserole
Spoon the gnocchi and ragù into the baking dish. Coarsely shred the mozzarella and provolone, then scatter them evenly over the top.
Bake and rest
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheese is melted with a few browned spots. Let the dish stand for 5 minutes, then tear the basil over the top and serve.
