Sorrento-style gnocchi

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina are like the rock stars of Campania cuisine, loved all over the world for their authentic and simple Mediterranean flavors. Making them by hand is an experience that takes you back to Sunday family lunches, when you would search for the secret to obtaining the perfect consistency of the little gems of potatoes and flour. These culinary delights are wrapped in a velvety tomato and basil sauce, enriched with mozzarella and grated cheese that give an irresistible stringy effect after a short baking in the oven. If you want to dare, you can try zucchini gnocchi as an alternative to the traditional dough. Have we made your mouth water? Then join us in the magic of gnocchi alla Sorrentina!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE GNOCCHI

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• Red potatoes 1 kg

• Eggs 1 medium

• Semolina to taste

• 00 flour 300 g

• Salt to taste

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

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• Tomato puree 600 gr

• Garlic 1 clove

• Salt to taste

• Basil 6 leaves

• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

FOR SEASONING

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• Mozzarella 250 gr

• Parmigiano Reggiano DOP to grate 70 gr

PREPARATION

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To prepare the gnocchi alla sorrentina, start with the potatoes to make the gnocchi: wash them under running water to remove any soil, then pour them into a large pan, add the water and cook the potatoes for about 30-40 minutes (depending on their size, the time may vary, test with the prongs of a fork to understand the degree of cooking; if you want to reduce the time you can use a pressure cooker ). Dedicate yourself to the sauce: in a pan pour a drizzle of oil, a whole peeled clove of garlic and the tomato puree, salt to taste.

Season with basil leaves, then cover with the lid and cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. When the potatoes are ready, drain them well. Then sift the flour onto the pastry board and create the classic fountain. Mash the still-hot potatoes in the center of the flour fountain with a potato masher or peel them and mash them.

Pour the egg and salt over the potatoes, then start kneading: this operation must be done quite quickly.

All you need to do is compact and give the dough a uniform consistency, which should be soft but not sticky (and not too tough either). Cover the dough with a clean, dry cloth. Put the water to cook the gnocchi on to boil in a large pan and add salt when it boils; in the meantime, take a portion of the dough one by one, keeping the remaining portion covered.

Make bigoli about 2-3 cm thick. Sprinkle with a little semolina and cut out gnocchi from each loaf using a tarocco. To give them the classic grooves, drag them delicately on a gnocchi board or on the prongs of a fork.

As you prepare them, you can arrange the gnocchi on a tray lined with a clean cloth and lightly sprinkled with semolina. Once the gnocchi are ready, remove the garlic from the sauce and pour almost all of it into a very large bowl.

Boil the gnocchi by pouring them into the pan at least 2-3 times, they will have to cook for very few moments, making sure that the water in the pan simmers and does not boil violently to avoid ruining them: as soon as they come to the surface, drain the gnocchi with the help of a slotted spoon and dip them gradually into the bowl where you poured the sauce. Mix delicately with a spoon. In a baking dish, pour the remaining sauce on the bottom, then drizzle with a drizzle of oil.

Pour a first layer of gnocchi. Season with a layer of mozzarella cut into cubes or shredded, and a sprinkling of Parmigiano.

Then continue with another layer of gnocchi, the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Bake your gnocchi alla sorrentina in a static oven preheated to 250° in grill mode for 5 minutes. Serve them piping hot and steaming!