Gnocchi Friggione

By / Food / December 1st, 2011 / Like

I suppose you want to know what a “friggione” is. Well, nothing really. It’s a made up word. I can’t actually say when it entered my vocabulary. But, I use it to refer to a recipe that’s a result of cleaning out the fridge. See?

Yes, it’s that time again — the end of the week fridge clean-out. This time I had some great ingredients waiting to be used. A few days ago I had made a batch of pulled pork, and there was probably half a cup of meat left over, still drenched in its flavourful juices. You know how grocery stores always stock fresh chestnuts this time of year. Well, I can never pass those by. I bought about a half kilo last weekend, and we roasted them in the oven as a mid-afternoon snack. (A glass of Prosecco paired super well with them). I had about a 1/4 cup of chestnuts left over, so I chopped them up and added them to the shredded pork.

 

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan, add the meat, chestnuts and a minced garlic. I tossed in a half cup of corn kernels that I had in the fridge from yesterday, and a bunch of locally grown rapini that I chopped up. Pour in a cup of broth. Or, use a cup of water with half a bouillon cube. Let the sauce simmer until the rapini has wilted.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil. Add your favourite pasta or rice. I tossed in two packages of rice gnocchi. These are delightful little pillows that will absorb the flavour of the sauce.

Gnocchi only need a few minutes to cook, so watch them carefully. They can get a little mushy if they’re overcooked. Once they’re done, drain them and scoop them into a large serving dish. Pour the sauce all over them and stir the mixture together well. Let the gnocchi sit and absorb the sauce for about 10 minutes. You can tent the dish with foil as you’re waiting for the gnocchi to settle. Stir gently before serving. Spoon some onto a plate and sprinkle with some freshly grated black pepper and parmesan cheese.

I’d recommend a glass of Pinot Grigio. Or you can even go with Pinot Noir.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mantini has always loved words. When she isn't working as the Associate Editor at Tidings Magazine, she's helping others achieve their writing dreams, and sometimes she even relaxes with a good book and a glass of wine.

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