Gnocchetti with speck, stracchino, and fontina

Gnocchetti with speck, stracchino, and fontina is a simple and flavorful dish, perfect for those desiring a comforting and tasty dinner. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

• 500g of potato gnocchetti (or other types of gnocchi if preferred)
• 150g of thin slices of speck, cut into strips
• 200g of stracchino
• 150g of fontina, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• A few leaves of fresh basil (optional)
• Grated parmesan to garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a wide skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic clove letting it brown to flavor the oil, then remove it.
3. Add the speck to the skillet and let it sauté over medium-high heat until it becomes slightly crispy.
4. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchetti in boiling water following the package instructions until they float to the surface, a sign that they are ready.
5. Drain the gnocchetti, reserving some of the cooking water, and transfer them directly into the skillet with the speck.
6. Add the stracchino and diced fontina and stir gently to allow the cheeses to melt creating a cream, adding some of the reserved cooking water if necessary to make it creamier.
7. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, if necessary.
8. Serve the gnocchetti, sprinkle with chopped basil leaves and grated parmesan, if desired.

Curiosity

Stracchino is a soft and creamy cheese, typical of Northern Italy, especially in the Lombardy region. Its name comes from the Lombard word “stracch” meaning tired, due to the state of fatigue of the cows returning from the alpine pastures which produced a milk richer in fats and therefore ideal for producing this cheese. The combination of stracchino with speck and fontina creates a full and enveloping flavor, perfect for dressing pasta or gnocchi.