GIVING a hat tip to a fast food theme as it were, this gnocchi dish is really very good and as with most things Italian in nature, it is all down to the sauce and the quality of the produce used.
A good potato gnocchi is as much about the potato as anything else. So using a good quality potato, baking it and then shaping them may seem like a lot of work but the end result is simply amazing.
WHAT TO DO
For the gnocchi
4 baked potatoes
2 eggs
150g flour
Pinch of salt and nutmeg (it works)
For the sauce
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
fresh basil – it’ll be foreign, but worth it
parmesan cheese
1 finely diced onion
2 cloves of garlic
A light squeeze of tomato puree
Olive oil
A little knob of butter
WHAT TO DO
First off, you must bake the potatoes, I find that baking them makes for a better result in my opinion. Also, I will say that there are several very good pre-made options out there and for those of you caught for time, they are perfectly acceptable to offer. Making your own gnocchi is something, like many of the Italian classics, that you must do at least once.
Once the potatoes are baked, scoop the white flesh out of the skins and add the eggs and flour to a bowl and combine with the salt and the nutmeg.
Shape into a long cylinder and cut them to small bite sized pieces. You can roll them into oblong shapes for that authentic feel and look.
They will only take a few minutes to cook so have a pan of salted boiling water ready to cook them as they will only take three minutes to bring back to life.
Meantime, get the sauce on by sweating the onion and the garlic in a pan with a little olive oil and butter. Add the cherry tomatoes and a little cup of water with the tomato puree. Some pasatta will suffice also. A sprinkle of sugar is an optional extra if you want to lift the sweetness.
Allow that to reduce and let the tomato-ness shine through.
Drop the gnocchi into the salted boiling water and once they have floated to the top, remove them and combine with the sauce.
Top with some shredded basil and grated parmesan cheese.