Chef Justin's Italiano Recipes Paired with Yorba Barbera

We're celebrating everything Italian throughout the month of September. Buy our Barbera Vertical wine pack for only $100 and watch our You Tube channel as Chef Justin shows you how to prepare his favorite Italian dishes

Gnocchi - Serves 4

1 1⁄2 pound yukon gold potatoes 1 1⁄2 cup all purpose flour

1. Add the potatoes to a large pot of water and bring them to a boil. Cook until they are tender; can easily be punctured with a fork.

2. When done, drain and peel while hot. Cool the potatoes in the fridge for several minutes until they are cool enough to handle but still warm. Using a cheese box grater, shred the potatoes.

3. Add most of the flour to the potatoes and knead into a smooth mixture using your hands. Add enough of the reserved flour until the mixture has become soft and smooth but still slightly sticky.

4. Dust your work surface with more flour and portion your dough into 4 parts to roll out. Shape each portion into a sausage-like roll about 1 inch in diameter. Slice the rolls into 3⁄4 inch pieces, they will grow during cooking. Start a large pot of water to boil and blanch the gnocchi after shaping.

5. Using a fork with long, slim tines, with wide spacing, as your shaping tool. Hold the fork parallel to the tables with tines facing toward you. Using the other hand, slide the gnocchi against the tines with your pointer-finger and flip it toward the base of the fork. Don’t be afraid to apply pressure. Your gnocchi will have ridges on one side and a dimple on the other.

6. Once your water is boiling, add a tablespoon of salt. Test 3 pieces of gnocchi before boiling the whole batch. Add the gnocchi to the water and wait until they float to the surface. After they float count to 10 seconds and retrieve the gnocchi. If the taste is too floury, add a few seconds to your cooking time. If the gnocchi is falling apart, subtract a few seconds.

Cook the rest of your gnocchi and get ready to enjoy!

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes

• 5 tablespoons butter

• 1 medium onion, peeled and halved salt

• Grated parmesan cheese
  

• This recipe calls for fresh tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use 2 cups of canned, plum tomatoes and skip to step 2.

Directions

1. Prepare your tomatoes by removing the stems and cutting in half. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a saute pan and heat to medium. Add your tomatoes and cook covered for 15 minutes. Using a food mill, mill the tomatoes into a saucepan or bowl. Discard the seeds and skins.

2. With your prepared tomatoes in a saucepan, and the butter, onion, and salt. Cook uncovered at a very slow simmer for 45 minutes.

3. Taste and correct seasoning with salt. Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta and serving with parmesan.

Italian Parmesan Sausage

Ingredients

• 5 lb ground pork

• 1 1⁄3 cup grated parmesan 2 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons salt

• 1⁄4 cup wine

This sausage can be stuffed into casings and enjoyed within three days or used as ground sausage. To enjoy with our gnocchi, we will shape small meatballs and freeze the remaining sausage for later use. Shape 1⁄2 pound sausage per person and freeze remaining in 1 pound portions.

Directions

1. Thoroughly mix seasonings with ground pork. Add wine and mix in.

2. Using a tablespoon spoon, scoop all of your small meatball portions. Next, shape the meatballs by rolling in-between your hands into spheres. Rest the meatballs for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. In a hot pan add a few tablespoons of oil and cook your sausage meatballs for 5 to 6 minutes.