Tiny Potato Dumplings With Tomato Onion And Guanciale Sauce Gnocchetti All Amatriciana Recipes

TINY POTATO DUMPLINGS WITH TOMATO, ONION, AND GUANCIALE SAUCE (GNOCCHETTI ALL' AMATRICIANA)

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté guanciale and onion, stirring, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with reserved juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Make gnocchetti:
• Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 2 inches in a large pot, then simmer, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, peel.
• Force warm potatoes through ricer into a large bowl. Add flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to come together. Gently form dough into a ball and cut in half.
• Knead each dough half on a floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute (if dough sticks to surface, dust lightly with additional flour). Cut each half evenly into 10 pieces. Roll 1 piece into a 14-inch-long rope (1/2 inch thick), keeping remaining pieces covered with a kitchen towel. Cut rope crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and toss pieces lightly with flour on work surface.
• Press a piece of dough against tines of a floured fork and push with a floured thumb in a forward rolling motion toward end of tines, letting gnocchetti fall from fork into a well-floured shallow baking pan. Make more gnocchetti in same manner.
• Just before cooking, gently shake gnocchetti in 4 batches in a large medium-mesh sieve to knock off excess flour. Cook gnocchetti in 4 batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until they float, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large shallow bowl as cooked and spoon some sauce on top.

AMATRICIANA (GUANCIALE, TOMATO, AND PECORINO ROMANO)

Steps:

• Put the guanciale and oil in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and heat gently so the guanciale renders some fat and starts to brown. Taste a piece to assess how salty it is. Then, when it just begins to become crisp, add the chopped onion (if using) and sauté gently until transparent. Add the tomatoes and chile, then taste for salt (how much you need will depend on the guanciale).
• Finish cooking the sauce, covered, over low heat. You'll know it's done when the liquid has thickened somewhat and the fat shows on the surface, about 20 minutes.
• Make-ahead note: This much can be done earlier in the day, but this sauce is not customarily made in advance or kept, except casually as leftovers for the next day.
• Bring 5 quarts (5 liters) of water to a boil in an 8-quart (8-liter) pot over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
• Warm a serving bowl or platter in a low oven. If the oven is not practical, warm the bowl just before use with hot water, even a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
• Drain the pasta and put it in the warmed serving bowl. Toss it first with the grated cheese, then with the sauce. Serve immediately.

TINY DUMPLINGS WITH DILL

Steps:

• Bring a 6-quart pot of salted water (2 teaspoon salt for 5 qt water) to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, whisk together flour, dill, 2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
• Whisk together eggs and water in a bowl, then add to flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth.
• Working over barely simmering water, force batter through spaetzlemaker (or through colander with a rubber spatula) into water and cook, stirring occasionally, until dumplings have risen to surface and are firm, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Drain dumplings in a colander, then return to warm pot. Toss with butter and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.