· recipe ·
Italian Sausage Gnocchi in Marinara
Tomato paste gives a short-cooked marinara a deeper flavor. Cooking it briefly with the aromatics takes away its raw taste before the crushed tomatoes go in.
Time and servings
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- about 500
- Protein
- 19 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 55 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 marinara ingredients
While the potatoes cook, remove the sausage casings if needed. Dice the onion, finely chop the garlic, and tear the basil leaves.
Brown the sausage
Warm half of the olive oil over medium heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook, breaking it into bite-size pieces, until browned and the center of the largest piece reaches 160°F71°C, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer it to a plate.
Simmer the marinara
Add the remaining olive oil and the onion to the skillet. Cook until soft, then add the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, pepper, and up to 1/2 tsp3 g of the reserved salt. Return the sausage and simmer gently until the sauce thickens but still flows easily. When ready, 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 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.
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. Continue with the next step while the water heats.
Rewarm the marinara
While the water heats, return the marinara to a gentle simmer. Taste and use the remaining dish salt only if needed.
Poach the gnocchi
Slide the gnocchi into the gently simmering water and stir once so they do not stick to the bottom. Reserve 1/2 cup120 ml cooking water, then lift the gnocchi as they float.
Finish with basil
Transfer the floating gnocchi directly to the marinara and fold gently to coat. Add reserved cooking water 1 Tbsp15 ml at a time only if the sauce is too tight. Remove from heat and fold in the basil.
