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Gnocchi Bolognese Recipe

Pillowy soft gnocchi tossed with homemade bolognese sauce is comfort food at its finest.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs
Servings: 8
Calories: 635 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 yellow onion , roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 celery stalk , roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 carrot , peeled and roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice , about 3 cups
  • 8 ounces pancetta , cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 pound 80/20 blend ground chuck beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup whole milk , 2% milk fat can be substituted
  • 2 cups beef or chicken broth
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 16 ounces gnocchi
  • Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. In a food processor, pulse the onion, celery, and carrot until finely chopped. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden, about 5-7 minutes.
  2. While the vegetables are cooking, add the tomatoes with their juice to the food processor and pulse 5-7 times until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the food processor, then add the pancetta to the bowl. Pulse until the pancetta is a coarse paste. Set aside.
  3. Add the tomato paste to the Dutch oven and cook for about 10 minutes until the paste begins to brown, stirring when needed so it doesn't burn. Add the ground chuck, pork, and pancetta to the pot along with the red pepper flakes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart as it cooks, just until lightly browned and the meat loses its raw edge. Add the wine and cook until the wine is almost all absorbed, about 10 minutes, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add the milk and cook until it has evaporated, which will take about 30 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat more as it cooks.
  4. Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to the lowest setting so it cooks with barely a bubble breaking the surface occasionally. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened to become rich and dark in color. Toward the end of cooking, a layer of oil will likely rise to the top. Spoon off the oil or fold back into the sauce as desired. The longer you cook the sauce the better it will become. If the sauce seems to dry out, add ¼ cup hot water at a time as needed. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
  5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until it floats to the top of the water, then 1 minute more. Use a spider or strainer to transfer the gnocchi to the warm sauce. Toss and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Serve with ground Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like basil or rosemary if desired.

Notes

  • For a quick weeknight meal, make the sauce ahead of time, then warm in a skillet and toss with fresh-cooked gnocchi. 
  • For even more tips for preparing and storing bolognese sauce, check out my bolognese recipe. 
  • bolognese recipe. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 635kcal (32%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 46g (71%) Saturated Fat 17g (85%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 20g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 115mg (38%) Sodium 1050mg (44%) Potassium 551mg (16%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 1572IU (31%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 83mg (8%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 635

% Daily Value*

Calories 635kcal 32%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 46g 71%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 20g 100%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 115mg 38%
Sodium 1050mg 44%
Potassium 551mg 12%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 1572IU 31%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 83mg 8%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.