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Bread gnocchi with sausage (gnocchetti collescipolani) recipe from Umbria
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5 from 54 votes

Bread Gnocchi with Sausage

This bread gnocchi with sausage is a seriously good, hearty traditional dish from Umbria. Its rich and flavorful sauce pairs excellently with gnocchi and the recipe can be made in under an hour with homemade bread gnocchi or in under 30 minutes with store-bought potato gnocchi.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: homemade gnocchi, Main Course
Cuisine: Central Italy, Italian, Umbria
Keyword: bread gnocchi, breadcrumb gnocchi, gnocchi with sausage, sausage gnocchi
Servings: 4
Calories: 828kcal
Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

For the breadcrumb gnocchi

  • 6 oz Italian '00' soft wheat flour or all purpose flour
  • 4 oz breadcrumbs homemade from stale bread or store bought
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup warm water

For sausage and bean sauce

  • 7 oz borlotti beans (7oz) precooked or canned
  • 3.5 oz guanciale (3.5oz) or pancetta. Cut into cubes.
  • 7 oz tomato passata (3.5oz) or peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 2 Italian pork sausages Casing removed and meat crumbled
  • ½ onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery finely chopped
  • 2 carrots finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt for gnocchi and to taste

Instructions

How to make bread gnocchi (can be skipped if using store-bought)

  • Mix the breadcrumbs, flour and a teaspoon of salt together in a bowl. Slowly add the warm water while using your hands to work the ingredients into a dough. Note: You may not need all the water or you may need to add a bit more. The dough has to be soft and slightly tacky but not wet.
  • Turn the dough out onto a pastry board and knead a little. Not a lot as otherwise your gnocchi will be too dense. Cover the dough with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.
  • After letting the dough rest, make the gnocchi by rolling pieces of dough into ‘snakes’ about 1.5 cm (0.5ins) thick and then cutting the snakes into small 1-2 cm (0.5-0.75 ins) pieces.
  • Put the ready gnocchi onto a tray or tea towel that’s been dusted with flour while you make the rest and the sauce. Tip: I find semolina flour is the best for dusting.

How to make the Sausage Sauce

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil over low heat. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add guanciale and sausage mince. Brown the guanciale and sausage mince this should take about 5-7 minutes.
  • After browning the meat, mix in the tomato passata and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Adjust with salt, add beans, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Just before you are ready to serve, boil the breadcrumb gnocchi in salted water. As they float to the surface, move them with a slotted spoon to the sauce. Make sure to do a taste test before adding the gnocchi to the sausage sauce.
  • Mix thoroughly and serve garnished with grated pecorino.

Notes

  • Don't Over-Kneading the Gnocchi: Excessive kneading can make your gnocchi dense, causing you to lose that soft texture.
  • Resting the Dough: This step shouldn't be skipped. Resting relaxes the gluten, which ensures the gnocchi remains tender and not tough.
  • Cooking Gnocchi: The Gnocchi should be ready when it floats to the surface of boiling water. Make sure to taste the gnocchi when you think it's ready, and not to overcook it as it can lead to a mushy texture.
  • Cooked Dish Storage: Leftover Bread Gnocchi and Sausage can be stored in an airtight refrigerator container for 2-3 days. For best results, reheat on the stove over medium heat with a splash of water.

Nutrition

Calories: 828kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 1635mg | Potassium: 745mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5396IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 6mg