Info
- Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- From start to finish: 4 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6
Ingredients
Pork Ragù
- 2 ounces sunflower oil
- Salt
- 2 pounds pork shoulder (pork butt), cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red wine (such as Sangiovese)
- 3 cups crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Light Potato Gnocchi
- 3 medium to large russet potatoes, preferably Idaho
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 ounce olive oil
- 1 ounce sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon minced shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- Ricotta, for serving
Instructions
- Start the ragù: Set the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large pan — a rondeau works well — until very hot. Pour in the oil and swirl to coat the surface, letting it heat until it just begins to smoke. While that heats, season the pork pieces with salt and add them to the pan to sear. Work patiently so the meat browns on every side. Move the browned pork to a medium pot fitted with a lid. Lower the pan to medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes, until the garlic takes on a little color and the onion turns slightly translucent. Pour in the wine to deglaze, gently scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf and rosemary, and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this tomato sauce over the pork in the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven for 3 hours. Let it cool for about 1 hour, then stir it together lightly.
- Make the gnocchi: Set the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Fill a large pot with water for cooking the gnocchi. Separately prepare an ice bath of 90% water and 10% ice for cold shocking.
- Arrange the potatoes on a sheet pan and pierce them in a few spots with a knife. Bake until tender, 1 hour 15 minutes, then let them rest a few minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the potato flesh and push it through a ricer to eliminate any large lumps. Put the flesh in a bowl and add the flour, egg and a pinch of salt. Work the mixture into a dough, then shape it into logs and cut with a knife, dusting lightly with flour as you go, and set aside on a tray. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they rise to the surface. Lift the floating gnocchi out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the ice bath. Drain the chilled gnocchi, toss with a little olive oil, and they are ready to be seared and finished.
- Heat a stainless steel sauté pan until it reaches the smoking point. Add the sunflower oil and let it get hot. Add the gnocchi and sauté quickly, stirring in the shallot, garlic and the remaining pinch of salt. Spoon the seared gnocchi into a pasta bowl and top with the pork ragù and ricotta.
Notes
Take care not to overmix the gnocchi dough.
