Gnocchi Sorrentina

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If you're looking for the ultimate Italian comfort food, these Gnocchi Sorrentina are a must-try! Made-from-scratch with a simple tomato and mozzarella sauce!

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: gnocchi, mozzarella, tomato sauce

Servings:

Calories: 493kcal

Ingredients

Homemade Gnocchi

500 g potatoes with skin on (1.1 lbs)
1 egg beaten
120-150 g all-purpose flour (approx. 1 cup)
1 tsp. salt

Sorrentina Sauce

1 batch homemade gnocchi (or 1.3 lb store-bought gnocchi)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
400 g canned peeled tomatoes or passata (1 can/0.9 lbs)
5-6 fresh basil leaves
250 g fresh mozzarella (½ lbs)
4 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

How to Make Gnocchi From Scratch

Wash and clean potatoes but do not peel them. Fill a large saucepan with cold water, add potatoes, and cook on high heat for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Drain cooked potatoes, allow to cool for 5-7 minutes, and carefully remove the peel, which should come off easily using your hands.
Pass peeled potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl or mash them using a potato masher, making sure to get rid of large lumps.
Allow mashed potatoes to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then, add salt, flour, and 2-3 tbsp. of beaten egg. Start with the minimum amount of flour (1 cup/120g). Using your hands, work the mixture to a smooth dough (you may need to add some more flour), but do not overwork the dough. Try to work as quickly as possible. The dough should hold together and should not be sticky.
Divide the dough in 4 and roll each piece into a long cylinder (thumb-thickness) onto a lightly floured surface (you don't want the gnocchi dough to stick to the surface as you are rolling into a cylinder).
Slice the dough into 2cm (¾") squares and transfer each piece onto a lightly-floured plate.
You can either leave the gnocchi smooth or your can create ridges (that are meant to hold the sauce).
For ridged gnocchi, roll each piece onto a lightly-floured gnocchi board or ruler. If you don't have an gnocchi board, you can roll each piece over the back of a fork.
Before cooking, allow gnocchi to rest, uncovered, on a lightly floured surface at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. This will dry them out slightly and prevent them from sticking together whilst cooking. In the meantime, you can prepare the sauce.

Sorrentina Sauce

Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet. Add minced garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds on medium heat.
Add canned tomatoes/passata, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Assembly and Baking

Preheat the grill to 250°C (500F) and prepare a 9x9" (or similar) baking dish. Dice mozzarella and slice basil leaves and set aside.
To cook gnocchi: Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and boil until they rise to the surface of the pan (1-2 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked gnocchi to skillet with tomato sauce.
Toss gnocchi in tomato sauce to coat thoroughly. Then, add fresh basil leaves and diced mozzarella. Transfer to baking dish and top with freshly-grated parmesan/pecorino cheese.
Grill for 8-10 minutes until mozzarella cheese has melted and gnocchi are slightly golden brown at the surface.
Allow the gnocchi to cool slightly, and serve with freshly grated cheese, salt and pepper as desired.

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