Gnocchi alla Sorrentina – gnocchi with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil
This gnocchi recipe hails from Sorrento and champions three of Campania’s most famous ingredients – fresh flavourful tomatoes, verdant basil and creamy mozzarella. As the cheese melts into the sauce, it binds everything together with gooey strings of indulgence – a perfect combination of hearty comfort food and the flavours of Italian summertime.
Ingredients
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
- 600g of floury potatoes
- 150g of plain flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 250g of mozzarella cheese , torn into small chunks
- 8 basil leaves , roughly torn
- pecorino, grated
- sea salt
To make the tomato sauce
- 600g of passata
- 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- salt
- pepper
Equipment
- Potato ricer
Method
1
Boil the potatoes whole, skin on, until cooked through. Drain then transfer to a frying pan set over a low heat. Gently heat the potatoes until they feel dry on all sides. Allow them to cool
- 600g of floury potatoes
2
To make the tomato sauce, place the oil and the garlic in a medium saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the passata and 60ml water, cover and allow the sauce to cook for 30 minutes, stirring often. Taste, season and keep warm
3
Peel the skins from the cooled potatoes and discard
4
Scatter three-quarters of the flour over a work surface. Press the potato though a ricer onto the flour, form the mixture into a well and add the egg yolks. Shape everything into a soft dough, gradually adding the flour until you form a soft pliable texture. Dust the work surface with a little more flour and divide the dough into 4
- 2 egg yolks
- 150g of plain flour
5
Roll out the dough into long cylinders, about the thickness of your thumb. Cut each length into segments, then press each one onto a gnocchi board or fork to give them a ridged texture. Reserve on a flour-lined tray
6
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 5
7
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float on the surface, this should take approximately 3 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon and place in the tomato sauce
8
Stir and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Dress with the mozzarella and basil, dust with grated pecorino and cover with foil. Bake for 10 minutes, until the mozzarella has melted. Remove the foil and finish under the grill for 2–3 minutes, until the cheese is golden. Serve immediately
- pecorino, grated
- 250g of mozzarella cheese , torn into small chunks
- 8 basil leaves , roughly torn
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Gnocchi alla Sorrentina – gnocchi with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil
