Ground Beef Gnocchi and Bolognese
A ground-beef sauce gets into the spaces between gnocchi, giving each forkful meat as well as dough. Meatballs make a different meal, with larger, more distinct bites of beef beside the dumplings.
Why a fine-textured ragù works
The small crumbles in Bolognese cling to the gnocchi rather than sitting in a separate pile. Onion, carrot, celery, and wine give the meat sauce a rounded flavor; tomato is part of that mixture rather than the only thing you taste. Plain potato gnocchi leave plenty of room for it.
The cheese changes the mood
Ricotta and mozzarella make a beef-and-tomato bake softer and milkier. Cheddar, chiles, and black beans take the same mild potato dough toward a taco-style skillet. A creamy tomato sauce falls somewhere between the two, with a smooth coating around the beef instead of a melted topping.
