Gnocchi with cacio e pepe and crispy artichokes

To prepare the gnocchi cacio e pepe with crispy artichokes, place the potatoes in a large pot with plenty of cold water 1. You will need to boil them: when they start boiling, calculate 30-40 minutes of cooking time. To check if they are cooked, pierce one with a fork, and if you can reach the center, then you can drain them. Mash them while still hot on a work surface: if you use a potato masher, there is no need to peel them, as the skin will remain inside the tool 2. Spread them out slightly to create a well in the center, add a pinch of salt 3.

Pour the lightly beaten egg in the center 4, then pour the flour 5. Start working the dough with your hands 6,

until you get a soft and compact mixture 7: knead as little as possible, just enough to achieve the desired consistency, this way you will avoid them becoming too hard when cooking. Take a bit of dough and roll it out to obtain a log about 0.5-1 inch thick 8, depending on how large you want the gnocchi. If the dough is slightly too soft, use some semolina to help you work with it. Cut the logs into pieces of about 0.6 inch 9,

placing them on a tray covered with a semolina-floured towel, to prevent them from sticking to each other 10. Now, focus on preparing the artichoke chips: in a pan with high sides, heat the frying oil over medium heat. Clean the artichokes wearing gloves or rubbing your hands with some lemon juice to avoid them darkening. Remove the outer fibrous leaves 11, cut them in half, and also remove the internal fuzz 12.

Then cut them lengthwise into very thin slices 13. Pass them in rice flour 14, ensuring they are well coated, then place them in a sieve to shake off excess flour 15.

When the oil reaches 356°F, start frying the artichokes a few at a time 16 for 3-5 minutes or until golden 17. Once ready, drain them on kitchen paper 18, being careful not to overlap them too much, and salt them immediately. Set them aside, and if you prefer, you can keep them warm in the oven at 266°F, in static mode.

For the cooking of the gnocchi and the sauce, start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt it slightly less than you normally would, as Pecorino is already very salty. Meanwhile, in a very large pan, toast the peppercorns for a few minutes over medium heat 19: when their aroma is released, then remove them from the heat and crush them coarsely in a mortar or with a meat mallet 20. Set aside a few whole peppercorns for decoration. Return the remaining crushed peppercorns to the pan and heat over medium 21.

adding a ladle of hot water 22. Now you can cook the gnocchi 23. They will only take a few minutes to cook: they will be ready as soon as they rise to the surface. While waiting for the gnocchi to cook, take about a ladle of cooking water and pour it into the bowl with the Pecorino 34.

Mix to obtain a fairly thick paste, with a consistency similar to pâté 25. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, drain them 26 directly into the pan with the pepper 27, mix gently, then turn off the heat.

Add the Pecorino paste in several spoonfuls 28 and start mixing very gently or, even better, toss them to melt and combine the cheese. You might need a bit more cooking water: add as much as needed to create a creamy sauce 29. Serve the gnocchi cacio e pepe immediately, topping them with abundant artichoke chips 30.