Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Ingredients

• 1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or russet
• 250g plain 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 700g tomato passata
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• A large handful of basil leaves
• 250g fior di latte mozzarella
• 70g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Before you cook

• Scrub the potatoes but leave them whole and unpeeled so they take on as little water as possible
• Cut the mozzarella into 1cm cubes and leave it in a sieve for 30 minutes to drain
• Peel and flatten the garlic cloves
• Dust a large tray with flour

Steps

1. Put the whole potatoes into cold salted water, bring them to the boil and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer slides in with no resistance.
2. Warm the olive oil in a wide pan with the flattened garlic over low heat for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the passata, season with salt and simmer the sauce gently for 25 minutes until it thickens and darkens.
4. Fish out the garlic, stir in half the basil and set the sauce aside.
5. Drain the potatoes and peel them while they are still too hot to hold comfortably, using a fork to steady them.
6. Press the hot potato through a ricer onto a clean work surface and spread it out to let the steam escape.
7. Scatter the flour and salt over the cooled potato and add the beaten egg.
8. Bring the mixture together with a light hand, working it only until it just holds, because kneading makes gnocchi tough.
9. Cut the dough into six pieces and roll each into a rope about 2cm thick.
10. Cut each rope into 2cm pillows and roll them down the back of a fork if you want ridges.
11. Lay the gnocchi on the floured tray without letting them touch.
12. Heat the oven to 220C.
13. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil.
14. Drop the gnocchi in a handful at a time and lift them out with a slotted spoon about 20 seconds after they bob to the surface.
15. Transfer each batch straight into the pan of warm tomato sauce.
16. Fold half the mozzarella and half the Parmigiano through the sauced gnocchi.
17. Tip everything into a baking dish or individual terracotta pots.
18. Scatter over the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano.
19. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is molten and the edges are bubbling and browned.
20. Finish with the remaining basil and serve straight from the dish.