Active Time

　　1 1/2 hr

　　Total Time

　　2 hr

　　These tiny gnocchi are tender, so place the cooked pasta in a bowl and spoon the porky sauce over top, instead of tossing the two together.

　　

Ingredients

8 first-course servings

　　

For sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

　　5 oz guanciale (cured pork jowl)* or pancetta, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

　　1 large red onion, finely chopped (1 1/4 cups)

　　1 small garlic clove, minced

　　1 (28- to 32-oz) can plum tomatoes, drained (reserving juice) and finely chopped

　　1/2 cup water

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　

For gnocchetti:

1 1/2 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting

　　1 1/4 teaspoons salt

　　Accompaniment: finely grated Pecorino Romano

　　

Special Equipment

a potato ricer

　　

Make sauce:

Step 1

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté guanciale and onion, stirring, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with reserved juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

　　

Make gnocchetti:

Step 2

Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 2 inches in a large pot, then simmer, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, peel.

　　

Step 3

Force warm potatoes through ricer into a large bowl. Add flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to come together. Gently form dough into a ball and cut in half.

　　

Step 4

Knead each dough half on a floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute (if dough sticks to surface, dust lightly with additional flour). Cut each half evenly into 10 pieces. Roll 1 piece into a 14-inch-long rope (1/2 inch thick), keeping remaining pieces covered with a kitchen towel. Cut rope crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and toss pieces lightly with flour on work surface.

　　

Step 5

Press a piece of dough against tines of a floured fork and push with a floured thumb in a forward rolling motion toward end of tines, letting gnocchetti fall from fork into a well-floured shallow baking pan. Make more gnocchetti in same manner.

　　

Step 6

Just before cooking, gently shake gnocchetti in 4 batches in a large medium-mesh sieve to knock off excess flour. Cook gnocchetti in 4 batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until they float, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large shallow bowl as cooked and spoon some sauce on top.

　　Cooks' Note

　　• Sauce can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before proceeding. • Gnocchetti can be formed (but not cooked) 1 week ahead and frozen in floured baking pan, covered, until hard, about 3 hours, then put in a sealed plastic bag. Do not thaw before cooking. Boil frozen gnocchetti about 2 minutes. *Available at Salumeria Biellese (212-736-7376).