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Bowl of gnocchi alla bava with silky Fontina cream sauce and a fork lifting a long cheese pull, black pepper on top

Gnocchi alla Bava (Piedmontese Gnocchi with Fontina and Cream)

Soft potato gnocchi tossed in a melted Fontina and cream sauce, finished with butter and black pepper. A traditional Piedmontese primo.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the gnocchi
  • 800 g potato gnocchi (store-bought or homemade) fresh or shelf-stable both work
  • 1 tbsp fine sea salt for the boiling water
For the Fontina cream sauce
  • 200 g Fontina Val d'Aosta DOP rind removed, diced into small cubes
  • 200 ml heavy cream (35% fat)
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper or to taste
  • to taste fine sea salt add only after cheese has melted

Method
 

Cook the gnocchi
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp salt.
  2. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not drain yet.
  3. Use a ladle to scoop out about 60 ml of the starchy cooking water and set aside. Then remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon.
Make the Fontina sauce
  1. While the water heats, place the cream and butter in a wide saute pan over medium-low heat. Warm until the butter melts and the cream begins to steam, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not let it boil.
  2. Add the diced Fontina in two batches, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon after each addition until the cheese melts fully into the cream and the sauce looks pale and uniform, about 4 to 5 minutes total.
  3. Reduce heat to low. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Taste and season with salt only at this point, since Fontina varies in saltiness.
Combine and finish
  1. Add the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce. Toss gently to coat, adding a splash of reserved cooking water if the sauce is too thick to move freely around the gnocchi.
  2. Remove the pan from heat. Add freshly cracked black pepper and toss once more.
  3. Divide into warm bowls immediately. Serve with extra black pepper at the table if you like.

Notes

If the sauce tightens before you add the gnocchi, stir in a tablespoon of cream over low heat to bring it back. Never reheat at high heat or the Fontina will separate.