Gnocchi with beef ragu

In Argentina, ‘El día del ñoqui’ is traditionally held on the 29th day of each month when families come together to eat ‘ñoqui’ (gnocchi), while many restaurants add it to their menu of the day.

Credit: Rachel Tolosa Paz

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  2:10 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, chopped
• 750 g (1 lb 11 oz) chuck (braising) steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) dry red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 400 g (14 oz) tin crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• finely grated parmesan, to serve
• finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Gnocchi

• 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) floury potatoes, unpeeled
• 225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp sea salt
• fine semolina, for dusting

Instructions

1. To make the gnocchi, scrub the potatoes and place in a large steamer set over boiling water. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and steam the potatoes until a skewer easily slips through the flesh. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Peel and discard the skins, then roughly chop the potato and pass through a potato ricer. If you don’t have a ricer, coarsely grate the potato into a large bowl. You should have about 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) of potato.

2. Using a wooden spoon, stir through the flour followed by the egg and salt, and mix until smooth and well combined – the mixture should be sticky. Using floured hands, form the dough into an oval shape, then cut into four equal-sized portions.

3. Sprinkle some semolina on a baking tray and lightly flour a work surface. Take one portion of dough and roll it into a log, about 1.5 cm (½ in) wide. Cut the dough into 1.5 cm (½ in) pieces and transfer to the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough, then cover and set aside in the fridge. You can also freeze the gnocchi at this point to use at a later date.

4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium–high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, until golden and soft. Add the steak and cook for 8–10 minutes, until well browned on all sides. Stir through the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the wine and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the wine has almost evaporated, then stir through the vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf and 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 1¼ hours, or until the meat is very tender. Cover and keep warm while you cook the gnocchi.

5. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Working in batches, add the gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top, then immediately remove using a slotted spoon and divide among serving bowls. Spoon over the ragù, sprinkle with grated parmesan and parsley and serve straight away.

Recipe from The Food of Argentina by Ross Dobson and Rachel Tolosa Paz, Smith Street Books, RRP $44.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.