Ricotta gnocchi with meat sauce

Cook the ground beef in extra virgin olive oil, breaking it apart, until about fully cooked through; remove fat if there is a lot.

Dice the onion really small.

Add the onion and a little salt and cook a few minutes to give it a head start.

Add the passata.

Deglaze with dry wine.

Fill the passata jar halfway with water, swirl to rinse it and add to the pot. Add rinsed basil.

Cover, vent slightly and cook on the lowest heat two and a half to three hours; season with salt halfway through, and a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are acidic.

Drain the ricotta over paper towels in a sieve at least 6 hours, ideally 24 hours ahead, until thick.

Combine the ricotta with the eggs and a pinch of salt, mixing just until somewhat combined.

Add the grated parm and the flour and bring together; line a baking sheet with parchment and dust with flour, and set a pot of water to boil.

Turn out onto a heavily floured surface and bring the sticky dough together with a bench scraper, dusting with flour as needed until neither wet nor dry.

Cut the dough into eight wedges. Roll each into a rope about 12 inches long and cut into small pillows with a floured sharp knife; set on the baking sheet.

To freeze: put the baking sheet in the freezer about an hour until firm, then bag; cook from frozen, about 30 seconds longer.

Shake off excess flour on a spider and cook in batches in well seasoned boiling water until they float and stay floating, about 30 seconds.

Put some sauce in a bowl and toss the cooked gnocchi in it so they do not stick; serve with the meat sauce.