Ingredients for 4 people:
250 g stale bread250 ml milk1 egg200 g plain flour (plus a little for the work surface)30 g grated aged pecorino cheese salt and pepper1 pinch of grated nutmeg (according to taste) For the vegetable broth to cook the gnocchi in:2 l water2 stalks of celery1 sprig of parsley1 onion1 carrot salt350 g fresh anchovies200 g cherry tomatoes2 cloves of garlic “in camicia” (literally “with their shirts on” = unpeeled)60 g pine nuts6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil½ fresh chilli pepper
First of all prepare the vegetable broth: boil the vegetables in water for about 20 minutes, over an average heat; then remove the vegetables, filter the broth and put the liquid to one side.
To prepare the gnocchi: remove the crust and then cut the bread into small cubes. Put them in a large bowl, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, add the grated pecorino and nutmeg, and mix with your hands to amalgamate everything well. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork, add the milk a little at a time beating continuously. Pour the beaten egg into the bowl with the bread, and stir delicately until all the liquid has been absorbed. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, covered with a cotton cloth. Now sprinkle the work surface with flour, dampen your hands with water and start shaping the mixture into little balls, measuring about 2 cm; as you prepare the gnocchi, place them on the floured worksurface.
When you’ve finished, prepare the sauce: rinse the anchovies under running water, open them, remove the heads, tails and central bone; then rinse quickly again and leave to drain. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat the oil with the cloves of garlic (unpeeled, crushed under the palm of your hand) and the chilli pepper. When they’re golden brown, remove them and tip in the cherry tomatoes, cut in half, and the pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper, stir, turn the heat up and cook for 5 minutes. Add the anchovy filets and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, until they’ve turned white; stir frequently and use the spoon to break them up.
Bring the vegetable broth to the boil in a saucepan and cook the gnocchi in it for 5-6 minutes. In the meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi from the broth, put them in the pan with the sauce and toss them, adding ½ a ladle of the broth, for a few minutes. Serve piping hot!