Gnocchi alla Sorrentina Recipe

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Tender potato gnocchi bathed in a delicious tomato sauce and lashings of oozing cheese becomes even better when baked until golden!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Servings: people

Equipment

1 large oven proof skillet or large oven proof baking dish

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
28 ounces canned peeled whole tomatoes ((800 grams) pureed or well crushed)
10 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt or to taste (plus extra salt for boiling gnocchi)
12 ounces mozzarella cheese ((340 grams) See Note 1)
2 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (Parmesan cheese) ((60 grams) See Note 2)
2 pounds potato gnocchi ((1 kilogram) See Note 3)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes.
Use a large oven proof skillet to make the tomato sauce if you have one. Alternatively the gnocchi when combined with tomato sauce and cheeses can be transferred to a large baking dish before topping with remaining cheese and baking
In a large skillet or frying pan (see above), heat the oil over medium heat with the garlic until fragrant. Don’t let it brown.
Add the pureed or crushed tomatoes as soon as the garlic gets a bit of color. Stir well and add the basil leaves.
Bring the tomato sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
The tomato sauce is ready when it has thickened slightly. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the gnocchi.
When the sauce is ready, it’s time to cook the gnocchi because they will only take a few minutes.
Salt the boiling water with a large tablespoon of salt.
When the water comes back to a boil, add the gnocchi and stir so that they don’t stick to the bottom.
As the gnocchi rise to the surface, scoop them up with a slotted spoon, let them drain for 10 seconds then tip them into the tomato sauce.
Continue this way until all the gnocchi are cooked and added to the tomato sauce.
Gently stir the gnocchi to coat well in tomato sauce. Sprinkle almost all of the chopped mozzarella and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (Parmesan cheese) and toss the gnocchi gently to combine.
Transfer the gnocchi to the baking dish and scatter with reserved cheeses.
Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven until the cheeses are golden and bubbling.

Notes

Use fresh mozzarella cheese or low moisture - both will work.
Substitute Pecorino Romano cheese if you wish.
Use good quality gnocchi. Read the list of ingredients when determining the best gnocchi to purchase. Alternatively, make your own using this recipe for potato gnocchi.

Tips for Success

Be gentle when mixing gnocchi with tomato and both cheeses.
Cook the tomato sauce in a large ovenproof skillet, and you can bake the Gnocchi Sorrentina in the same pan. If not, transfer the sauce, cooked gnocchi, and cheese to a large ovenproof baking dish.

For more tips and information, scroll back and read all the information above.

Nutrition