Description
A comforting twist on classic pasta all’Amatriciana, this Gnocchi all’Amatriciana recipe is total weeknight comfort food. Pillowy-soft potato & parmesan dumplings served in a homemade tomato sauce that’s simple to make but also deeply rich in flavor. A new absolute go-to for easy weeknight cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 DeLallo Gnocchi kit, mixed & cut according to package directions (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flake (see Recipe Notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted if possible)
- for serving, as desired: extra grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parley or basil
Instructions
- Prep:
- Roast the Italian sausage: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the sausage links on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven & set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, thinly slice the sausage on a slight bias. Set aside.
- Prep the gnocchi water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Render the pancetta: Add the pancetta to a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occassionally, until the fat renders & the pancetta becomes golden & crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the Amatriciana sauce: Add the olive oil to the skillet with the rendered pancetta & let it come up to temperature for a minute or two. Once hot, add in the chopped garlic & pepper flake, seasoning with the kosher salt & stirring to combine. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the cheese & tomatoes, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer the sauce, stirring occassionally, until thickened slightly, 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare the gnocchi: Meanwhile, as the Amatriciana sauce simmers, prep the gnocchi. Follow package directions to prepare the gnocchi. Be careful not to overwork the gnocchi as you mix it up – once the dough comes together, you should be ready to roll it out!
- Boil the gnocchi: As the sauce begins to reach your desired consistency, drop the prepared gnocchi into the boiling water. Give the pot a stir to prevent any sticking, then let the gnocchi boil for 3-5 minutes. They will float to the top of the pot once they’re ready. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the gnocchi.
- Finish the Gnocchi all’Amatriciana: Add the sliced sausage & cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the Amatriciana sauce. Stir to combine, adding some of the reserved pasta water to the skillet as needed to help the sauce coat the gnocchi & sausage.
- Serve immediately, topped with extra grated cheese & chopped fresh herbs as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Spice level: By definition, Amatriciana is a bold & spicy sauce – I really wanted to showcase that in this recipe. As written, the recipe will yield a bold & zippy sauce – you’ll feel some heat in each bite but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming. If you’re sensitive to spice, I suggest using 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (& swapping out the spicy sausage with sweet or mild). If you love spice, use up to 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes.
- Gnocchi: I’m absolutely obsessed with DeLallo’s new Gnocchi Kit. Homemade gnocchi couldn’t be easier – you just add water & stir. Highly suggest ordering it & giving it a try. If you do not have the Gnocchi Kit, you can substitute it with 1 1/2 pounds of your favorite dried gnocchi. This is mine. Cook according to package directions with the same timing as laid out in the Recipe Directions, above.
