Potato Gnocchi with Fontina, Chives, and Crispy Shallots

I got really into potato gnocchi while cooking in Piedmont, Italy, some years ago. The food in the north can be much richer than it is in other parts of the country, especially when you start getting close to the Alps: the wild boar ragù, bowls of polenta with loads of Gorgonzola cheese, meat-stuffed pastas swimming in buttery sauces. It was an eye-opening experience. In particular, I fell in love with fonduta, a sauce featuring Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese.

Roasting the potatoes in t