Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

By John, 26 February, 2024
Region
Italy
Description

"Gnocchi alla Sorrentina"This is a staple of children's menus but it's also a delightful primo course when made with good ingredients and fresh gnocchi, and it's vegetarian, too! Kids like it because it has no garlic or onion, but top-quality ingredients really shine, like bright sunny Sorrento in the summer! 

This is easy to assemble ahead of time and then bake just before serving.

Yield
4 Servings
Preparation time
30 minutes
Cooking time
10 minutes
Total time
40 minutes
Ingredients
1 recipe Potato Gnocchi
1 bn fresh basil leaves (See step 3.)
28 oz Tomato Puree (San Marzano, if possible)
16 oz Mozzarella cheese (diced)
5 T Fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 pn Salt (more if needed)
Instructions
  1. Boil the Potato Gnocchi as instructed on the package or in the linked recipe (until they float).
  2. Preheat oven to 400.
  3. From the basil bunch, reserve 4 pretty leaves, then chop a few coarsely and some finely. The fine ones will go into your base tomato sauce, use however much you like, knowing that more is coming. The coarse ones will get stirred in with the gnocchi and cheese and remain visible in the finished dish as green shreds. The pretty ones go on top at the end.
  4. Dice the mozzarella and drain it of excess liquid.
  5. Make a pot of very simple tomato sauce with the tomato puree, the finely sliced fresh basil, salt, and good olive oil. You need about 4 cups. Use no garlic or onion.
  6. Set aside half of the mozzarella to top the dish, and 4 pretty basil leaves for garnish.
  7. Put 2-3 ladles of the sauce in a bowl and add the gnocchi along with the parmesan and the remaining coarse-cut basil and drained mozzarella dice. Stir together gently. Add the rest of the sauce.
  8. Transfer into 4 earthenware or other oven-safe bowls, like an onion-soup crock. 
  9. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the pretty leaves and bake for 5 minutes, then finish under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Serve quite hot.
Source

This comes from https://www.tavolartegusto.it/ricetta/gnocchi-alla-sorrentina-perfetti/