Sardinian gnocchetti with meat sauce, the recipe.
Some time ago I had the pleasure of working with a great Maitre d’Hote, Gianni, who often delighted us by preparing some succulent dish.
These Sardinian gnocchetti were one of my favorites!
And here is the traditional recipe for preparing Sardinian gnocchetti with meat sauce.

Ingredients

For the Sardinian gnocchi (malloreddus):
– 500 g of durum wheat semolina;
– Water to taste;
– A pinch of salt.
For the meat sauce:
– 500 g of beef (preferably stew or minced meat);
– 1 onion;
– 2 cloves of garlic;
– 1 carrot;
– 1 stick of celery;
– 800 g of tomato puree;
– 200 ml of red wine;
– Extra virgin olive oil to taste;
– Salt to taste;
– Black pepper to taste;
– 1 bay leaf;
– Grated Sardinian pecorino cheese (optional).

Preparation

Preparation of Sardinian gnocchi:
1. Dough: in a large bowl, pour the durum wheat semolina and a pinch of salt. Add warm water a little at a time and knead until the dough is smooth and homogeneous.
2. Formation of the gnocchi: take small pieces of dough and form cylinders about 2 cm long. Press each cylinder on a ridged surface (for example, a grater or a ridged board) to obtain the characteristic ridged shape of malloreddus.
3. Rest: let the gnocchi rest on a floured cloth for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.
Preparation of the meat sauce:
1. Preparation of the soffritto: finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. In a large saucepan, heat a little extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped vegetables. Fry over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and the onion is golden.
2. Cooking the meat: Add the meat to the sauce and brown it well on all sides. Pour in the red wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
3. Adding the tomato: Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and bring to the boil.
4. Slow cooking: Lower the heat and let the sauce cook over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce dries out too much, add a little hot water.
5. Adjusting the flavor: Add salt and pepper if necessary and remove the bay leaf.
Cooking the Sardinian gnocchi:
1. Cooking in boiling water: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the Sardinian gnocchetti for about 8-10 minutes, or until al dente.
2. Draining: drain the gnocchetti and transfer them directly to the saucepan with the meat sauce.
3. Stirring: mix the gnocchetti with the sauce well to blend the flavors.
Service:
1. Plating: serve the Sardinian gnocchetti with the meat sauce piping hot, sprinkled with grated Sardinian pecorino, if desired.
2. Garnish: you can decorate with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and a fresh basil leaf for a touch of color and freshness.

Enjoy your meal!

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Photo taken with Honor 20.

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The text of the post was written with the help of ChatGPT, a language model from OpenAI.