This dish is characterised by its simple flavours and this is why it is so popular: potato gnocchi with tomato and basil. In this version, we have used egg in the dough, but if you prefer, you can also make it without egg and the result will be just as delicious.
Ingredients for 4 people
Red potatoes, 1 kg
Ultra-fine “00” flour, 300 g
Eggs, 1
Peeled tomatoes, 500 g
Fresh basil, a few leaves
Garlic, 1 clove
Semolina flour, as required
Grated cheese, to taste
Salt, to taste
Preparation
Wash the potatoes well, peel them and dice them. Steam them for about twenty minutes and in the meantime start preparing the sauce: heat up a drizzle of oil in a non-stick pan and fry the garlic, add the peeled tomatoes you crushed up beforehand, a pinch of salt and cook for about ten minutes. When the potatoes are soft enough, put them in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher while they are still warm. Add the lightly beaten egg and a pinch of salt and start working the ingredients, adding the flour a little at a time until you get a compact dough. Using small pieces of dough, make little sticks about 2 cm thick on a pastry board coated with semolina flour and then cut them into small pieces. To get that typical gnocchi shape, roll them one by one over a gnocchi board or over the prongs of a fork. As you gradually make them, dust the worktop with semolina flour to stop the dough from sticking. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water and drain them when they pop to the surface (roughly in a couple of minutes). Sauté the gnocchi in a pan with the tomatoes, plate up and finish with some grated cheese and a few basil leaves.
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