Gnocchi Gratin with Pine Nuts and Gorgonzola Dolce

• Recipe by Paula Wolfert

I usually bake gnocchi in gratins, relieving me of the stress of last-minute cooking. Good, light potato gnocchi can take a really lush sauce such as this one from Emilia-Romagna, which is creamy and fragrant with stewed radicchio, seared pancetta, crunchy pine nuts and a mild Gorgonzola dolce, also called dolcelatte.

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2. Cooked Potato Gnocchi
3. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
6. 1 medium head of radicchio (1/2 pound), thinly sliced
7. 1/3 cup heavy cream
8. 1/3 cup whole milk
9. 4 1/2 ounces Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled (11/2 cups)
10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
11. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
12. 3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
13. 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large, nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the gnocchi and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In the same skillet, heat the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over low heat until the fat has rendered, 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Stir in the radicchio, cover and cook until tender, 4 minutes. Add the cream, milk and Gorgonzola and simmer to melt the cheese, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the sauce over and around the gnocchi. Top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, bread crumbs and pine nuts. Bake on the upper rack for 20 minutes, until the gratin is golden. Serve.

Make Ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.