Gnocchi di Patate con Salsa di Pomodoro

Italian potato dumplings with tomato sauce

I was asked to make my homemade potato gnocchi by Jessica Otto - so here it is with my quick tomato sauce! The whole recipe contains no butter, milk or cheese - so is *dairy free*

They really are pillowy delights of goodness.

My top tip is not to overwork the dough - otherwise the gnocchi may become tough and chewy.

Any leftover uncooked gnocchi be frozen on the tray and then put into a resealable plastic bags for up to 2 months. Then you can boil them without defrosting.

Mangia, mangia! 👩🏻‍🍳

This quantity of dough makes quite a lot of gnocchi, so perfect for freezing (uncooked) to enjoy another time.

Gnocchi di patate recipe:

1 kg king edward or maris piper potatoes
200- 250g plain flour - you might not need all of it
1 medium egg - beaten
1 tsp salt

1. Use potatoes of a fairly even size, as you’re going to cook them whole. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
2. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the skins, so must be still warm. Note the potatoes must not be cold when you mash them. Mash the potatoes using a potato ricer or push through a fine sieve on to a large clean surface or board. I used a potato ricer.
3. Sprinkle over the flour, season well with salt and make a well then add the beaten egg.
4. Mix together, adding more flour if necessary, but stopping as soon as it comes together into a soft dough - this only takes about a minute or two to come together. Note it’s crucial to not overwork the dough or to add too much flour as it will make the gnocchi tough and chewy.
5. Divide this into 1.5cm-wide strips, then roll these into sausage shapes. Slice into 3cm pieces.
6. Put the finished gnocchi on flour-dusted trays until your ready to cook them.
7. Make your quick tomato sauce at this point (recipe below).
8. Take the quantity of gnocchi you are going to use and any leftover uncooked gnocchi be frozen on the tray for an hour then put into a resealable plastic bags for up to 2 months and can be boiled without defrosting.
9. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (make sure you generously salt the water otherwise the gnocchi will be bland) then turn down to a simmer, and tip in the gnocchi. Stir, then wait for them to rise to the surface then remove with a slotted spoon.
10. Serve with your sauce of choice, in my case my lovely tomato sauce and some basil.

———————————————

My quick tomato sauce recipe:

1 tin of plum tomatoes (400g)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

1. Add oil, garlic and crushed pepper flakes(optional) in a cold pan and over a medium heat stir for a minute or two.
2. Add the tomatoes, stir, then add in the salt and sugar.
3. Cook for about 10 mins stirring occasionally on a low/medium heat.
4. Taste and add more salt if needed.