Velvety is a food word, a food word that one arguably should eschew. That, unfortunately, just isn’t practical in this situation. These are, for sure, velvety. The sauce is velvety. Hell, the figs are velvety. The crispy pancetta adds just the right amount of crunch to offset it. And the flavor profile is a well orchestrated team effort. The lightly spiced gnocchi are creamy and ever so slightly sweet as are the figs while the buttermilk mornay chimes in with tangy, salty notes which are further punctuated by the pancetta, and all of it is brightened with an herbaceous bite from either chives or sage. A peppery green like watercress or arugula would be good here too. This is nonna meets grand-mère meets grandma, an Italian classic in a French sauce with Southern flavors. In short, no matter where you are or hail from, this is comfort food for fall.