This recipe for gnocchi from Chef Frank De Carlo of Peasant in New York City is fantastic with his heady Wild Boar Ragu, but it’s equally delicious with a simple tomato sauce or a sage brown butter sauce.

What to buy: While we tested this recipe with all-purpose flour and still got stellar results, Chef De Carlo uses an Italian variety known as Tipo 00 (double zero), a hard wheat flour commonly used to make pasta. It’s available online at Forno Bravo.

Grana Padano is a dry grating cheese that is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is a suitable substitute.

Game plan: The gnocchi can be made up to 3 days in advance. Simply cool them completely, store them refrigerated in resealable plastic bags, and reheat them in simmering water as needed.

This recipe was featured as part of our Modern Potluck story.

  • Yield: 8 – 10 servings
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 1 hr 30 mins
  • Active: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients (8)

  • 3 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large potatoes), cooked until soft, then cooled (see note below)
  • 24 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta (about 3 cups)
  • 1 pound Grana Padano cheese, finely grated
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (18 ounces) or Tipo 00 flour
  • 12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • Wild Boar Ragu

Instructions

  1. Coarsely grate the cooked potatoes through the large holes of a box grater. (You will have about 6 cups.)
  2. Combine the grated potato, ricotta, half the Grana Padano cheese, the flour, sage, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix by hand until large, moist lumps form and no dry flour remains, about 7 minutes.
  3. Turn the mixture onto a clean work surface and gently knead until it becomes uniformly moist and doesn’t crack open while being pressed on, about 4 minutes. Form into a ball.
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces about 6 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long cigar shape about 21 inches long and 1 inch wide. Cut each cigar into 1- to 1-1/2-inch-long pieces. Set the gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet in a single layer, place a clean towel over the first layer, lightly flour the towel, and lay the second layer on top.
  6. Before cooking the gnocchi, gather the necessary equipment: a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, a bamboo skimmer or slotted spoon, and a wooden spoon.
  7. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water in batches, about 4 cups at a time. Stir gently with the wooden spoon, making sure the dumplings don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook the gnocchi until they begin floating to the top, about 4 minutes. Remove with the skimmer to the prepared baking sheet.
  8. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining gnocchi, making sure to allow the water to return to a boil before adding the next batch.
  9. Add the cooked gnocchi to the hot Wild Boar Ragu. Gently stir to coat the gnocchi with sauce, and top with the remaining Grana Padano cheese.

Note: To cook the potatoes, peel and place them in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are completely tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

Beverage pairing: Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rùfina, Italy. A solid Chianti like this one comes from Tuscany, where cinghiale (wild boar) is a signature dish. So the wine with its dark fruit flavors of plum and blackberry and a slight hint of game has the lift and the depth to be a lip-smacking accompaniment to this pasta.