Thursdays are gnocchi day in Rome, and if you’ve ever had a proper bowl of these potato dumplings in the Italian capital, you’ll understand why. They are dressed with heavy meat sauces— ragù, oxtail sauce, meat-roll sauce—that conspire with the gnocchi to fill your stomach and get you thinking you won’t need to eat another thing until the weekend. That’s fortunate because Fridays were traditionally lean days in Rome, meaning Catholics had to abstain from meat, so Thursdays were all about filling your belly to stave off the next day’s hunger. Whether you're observant or not, this recipe lets you do just that.
Gnocchi al Ragù (Gnocchi with Meat Sauce)
4-6
servings1
hourAdapted from Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to the Flavors that Built a City by Katie Parla
Ingredients
2 tbsp. 2 extra-virgin olive oil
1 1 carrot, finely chopped
1 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 medium 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
sea salt
8 oz. 8 ground beef
1/2 cup 1/2 dry red wine
1 14-oz. can 1 whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 lb. 1 fresh Gnocchi di Patate (recipe linked below) or store-bought
1/4 cup 1/4 finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over low heat.
- When the oil begins to shimmer, add the carrot, celery, onion, and a heavy pinch of salt and cook until the vegetables are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot, and cook until the liquid reduces by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomatoes have lost their raw flavor, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt until the water tastes like a seasoned soup.
- Gently add the gnocchi and cook until they float and have lost their raw flavor, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Use a spider or large slotted spoon to transfer the gnocchi to the pot with the sauce.
- Swirl and mix gently to coat, then serve immediately sprinkled with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Notes
- Tip: You can make the ragù a couple of days ahead of time, especially convenient if you're making gnocchi from scratch.
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