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Flour the board lightly and break the dough into pieces the size of a small orange. Shape pieces into rolls about the thickness of your thumb. Cut rolls into 1-inch pieces. Hold a fork with its tines resting against a work surface at a 45° angle and the inside curve toward you.Take a little dumpling and press it with your index finger against the outside curve of the fork at the tip end. Quickly slide dumpling up along the length of the tines, pressing with the index finger. Remove finger and let dumpling fall back onto work surface. (Groves made by fork and finger indentation will absorb the sauce.) Repeat with remaining dumplings. Arrange dumplings on a floured tray or large plate. (Dumplings can be prepared several hours or a day ahead of time and refrigerated uncovered.)

Prepare sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet or the mushrooms will “stew” instead of browning. Sauté over high heat, stirring, until they begin to color. Add the garlic, anchovies and prosciutto and stir once or twice. Add the wine. Cook and stir until the wine is almost all reduced. Season with salt and several twists of pepper.

Meanwhile fill a very large saucepan two-thirds full with salted water. Bring water to a boil. Add the gnocchi.When gnocchi come back to the surface of the water cook 20 to 30 seconds.

Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon or strainer, draining against the side of saucepan. Place gnocchi in skillet with mushrooms. Add the butter and the gnocchi, sprinkle with parsley and mix well. Serve at once.

SWISS CHARD AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Gnocchi di Bietola e Ricotta

The leaves of fresh Swiss chard, boiled and chopped very fine, give color and a somewhat sweeter flavor to this classic gnocchi. Traditionally, the favorite “sauce” for these gnocchi, is simply sweet, unsalted butter and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Fresh spinach can be used instead of Swiss chard.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Swiss Chard and Ricotta Gnocchi

1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard

1 large egg

1 pound ricotta

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons salt

1½ to 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Sauce

3 to 4 tablespoons butter

⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Prepare gnocchi: Remove Swiss chard leaves from stems, and reserve stems for another use. Wash leaves thoroughly in several changes of cold water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add Swiss chard and cook uncovered until leaves are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain chard and cool. Squeeze leaves with your hands to remove as much water as possible. Place leaves on a cutting board and chop them very fine. (The leaves can also be chopped in a food processor; be careful not to puree them.) Makes approximately ⅔ cup chopped chard.

Break egg in a large bowl and beat it with a fork. Add chard and mix well with egg. Add ricotta, Parmigiano, salt and 1½ cups of flour. Make dough and shape gnocchi as instructed in Basic Ricotta Gnocchi, page 85.

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and gnocchi. Cook uncovered over high heat until gnocchi rise to surface of the water, 1 to 2 minutes.

While gnocchi are cooking, make sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove gnocchi with a large slotted spoon or a skimmer, draining off excess water against side of pot, and place in skillet. Season lightly with salt and add about half of the Parmigiano. Stir over medium heat until gnocchi and butter are well combined. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with remaining Parmigiano.

BASIC RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Gnocchi di Ricotta

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 pound whole-milk ricotta

⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten in a small bowl

1 to 1½ cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with 1 cup of flour. Mix well with your