serves
6
prep
15 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb 2 oz) crustless stale bread, cut into 5-mm (¼ in) cubes
- 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) milk
- extra-virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
- 150 g (5½ oz) mixed deli meats (pancetta, ham, pressed tongue and/or speck), finely diced
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- about 100 g (31/2 oz) parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 40 g (1½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter
Chilling time: 15 minutes
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes in a medium bowl, pour over the milk and leave to soak for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the diced meats and cook for a few minutes.
- Remove the bread from the milk and squeeze dry. Place in a large, clean bowl and add the cooked meats, egg, parmesan, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Bring together to make a cohesive dough, then cover and rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- Shape the dough into balls the size of a small apricot; if the dough is too wet, add a bit of extra parmesan. Coat the balls lightly in flour and set aside. You should have enough dough to make about 30 balls.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Gently drop in the gnocchi and cook at a slow steady boil for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a frying pan large enough to fit all the gnocchi, melt the butter over low heat (if your pan isn’t large enough, do this in two batches). Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and carefully drop them into the melted butter, tossing to make sure they are well coated.
- Serve in warmed bowls generously topped with extra grated parmesan.
Recipe and images from Adriatico by Paola Bacchia, Smith Street Books, RRP $55.00
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.
