Gnocchi Alla Amatriciana

 



I found this recipe while browsing through a Family Circle magazine in the Seattle airport.  I made this for Corey this weekend and we both really liked it.  It's tomato-y, a little bit spicy, and a little bit salty from the pancetta.  What's more, it is supposed to make a 9x13 casserole, but I made two 8x8 dishes and froze one of them to have next month.  I just made it through Step 8 and then put half in the freezer instead of the oven.  This is easy to make, doesn't require a large number of ingredients, and is fairly healthy - not a lot of added fat or oil.

 

GNOCCHI ALLA AMATRICIANA

 

Recipe Notes

You can pick up the pancetta already diced and in the perfect-sized portion (4 oz.).  I found a 4 oz. container of pre-diced Boars Head pancetta at Kroger in the deli section and it worked great.

 

Nutritional Information

460 calories - 13 g. fat - 15 g. protein - 72 g. carbohydrates - 8 g. fiber

 

Ingredients

• 4 oz. pancetta (diced)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes (such as Cento)
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 (17.5 oz) packages gnocchi
   

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil for gnocchi.

3.  While waiting on water to boil, saute pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until crispy (8-10 minutes).

4.  Add diced onion and saute 4-5 minutes more over medium heat until softened.  The rendered fat from the pancetta will help to soften the onion.

5.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute 2 minutes more.

6.  Stir in tomatoes, 2 tbsp. shredded cheese, and thyme.  Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

7.  Meanwhile, add gnocchi to boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl when cooked through.  Gnocchi is ready when it floats up to the top of the pot of boiling water.  At that point, you can skim the pasta off the top.

8.  Add gnocchi to tomato sauce mixture.  Transfer to either a 9x13 baking dish or two 8x8 baking dishes.

9.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  If freezing half, put half in the freezer at this point.

10.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese has melted and tomato sauce is bubbling.