'Tis the season to gather with loved ones and indulge in heartwarming meals! And what could be more festive than this stunning Braised Short Rib Gnocchi Wreath? This show-stopping dish features tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs braised in a rich, flavorful sauce, nestled amongst pillowy, tender gnocchi. You can find the recipe for my cottage cheese gnocchi in my cookbook if you want to make this even more high protein!This wreath is super extra and festive, and the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table, guaranteed to impress your guests and make everyone's bellies smile.
1medium onionabout 2 cups, thinly sliced and halved
3clovesgarlicminced
1tbspCalabrian chili pasteor red pepper flake, to taste
1cupvodkaoptional
2 28ozcans whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 ½lbsgnocchiI used the cottage cheese gnocchi recipe from my cookbook!
Wreath Construction
½cupricottawhole milk, for decor
Basilfor decoration
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the center of the oven.
Sear the short ribs. In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or oven-safe cast iron pan with high sides over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, season the short ribs on all sides with salt and add them to the pan, pressing down to help the meat stick. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan! You can work in batches if needed (I did).
Make the braising liquid. Add the onions and some salt to the rendered beef fat and saute until translucent, then add the garlic and calabrian chili and cook for another minute. Add the vodka and cook until the alcohol smell is gone and it’s reduced by half, then add the cans of tomatoes, season again with salt and bring to a simmer. Add your short ribs back to the pot – ideally they will be mostly covered, but not completely – then cover and braise for 3-4 hours, checking on them after two hours and every hour after until fork tender and falling apart easily.
Finish the ragu. Remove the short ribs from the oven and from the braising liquid, making sure to fish all the meat and bones out. Skim off any visible fat pooling at the top of the sauce, then puree the remaining sauce (either by transferring to a blender or by using an immersion blender directly in the cooking pot) until smooth. Transfer back to the cooking pot, taste and season with salt if needed, then reduce the sauce over low heat by around ⅓, stirring occasionally. Shred the short rib meat and stir into the sauce, then cook your gnocchi in well salted, boiling water according to package instructions.
Make your wreath. Add your ring mold to the center of a large, flat, round serving platter. Alternatively, you can set an inverted bowl in the center and craft your own ring mold like we did. We made ours out of some thick plastic we had lying around, cut to the size of the top of our bowl. Spoon the gnocchi ragu around the outside of the mold, then decorate with piped ricotta “ornaments” and basil “holly”!
Notes
I had to wipe the center of my wreath a few times to clean up some leakage – it just depends how thick your sauce ends up being!
Serve with a high fiber salad like a shredded brussels sprout or broccoli salad, or serve berries and cream for dessert to balance out this low fiber dish!
Nutrition calculated using a standard cheese gnocchi, but using my cottage cheese gnocchi recipe will be higher in protein and likely lower in calories!
Keyword alla vodka, basil, beefsteak tomato, braised, Calabrian chili paste, chili garlic, extra virgin olive oil, gnocchi, holiday recipes, onion, ricotta, san marzano, short ribs
I'm a big eater, a huge fan of pasta (and mac n cheese), and I'm on a mission to prove that indulgence and balance can exist well together without silly restrictions or dieting. Life's too short to eat bad food!
