”Shop-bought fresh gnocchi baked in a garlic and basil-flavoured tomato sauce with melted mozzarella.”
This Italian classic calls for ripe, flavoursome tomatoes, fragrant basil leaves and creamy fresh mozzarella. Even if you’re not in Italy this summer shopping for the very best tomatoes, that is not a reason not to make Gnocchi alla Sorrentina.
A family favourite that’s easy to make, using just a few simple ingredients.
Wherever you live, there will be some excellent produce available, and I recommend using the best you can afford for this dish, especially tinned tomato pulp – polpa di pomodoro (finely chopped or crushed tomatoes), as they make a huge difference to the finished baked gnocchi Sorrento-style. After all, there are only four main ingredients: potato gnocchi, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.
Comforting, but lightened by the freshness of a good tomato sauce flavoured with garlic and basil.
The method is simple; it is the quality of the ingredients that really matters.
I know it can be tempting to avoid some traditional Italian dishes if you feel you cannot source equally good ingredients, but please don’t. With just a handful of ingredients, you can easily make one of my family’s favourites.
The main reason I’m writing this blog is to have it here for my sons. They love this dish; it’s easy to make, and it only requires a handful of ingredients.
If you’re in the mood, you can make the gnocchi from scratch and turn it into a lovely, satisfying cooking project. Alternatively, you can use shop-bought fresh gnocchi, which don’t need to be boiled first as they will cook in the sauce in the oven, giving you a delicious dish with very little effort.
Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina
Easy Baked Gnocchi with Tomato and Mozzarella
Sorrento-style Baked Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Shop-bought fresh gnocchi baked in a garlic and basil-flavoured tomato sauce with melted mozzarella.
serves 6
Ingredients:
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, grated, or crushed
- 2 tins (2x400g) of tomato pulp- polpa di pomodoro (finely chopped or crushed tomatoes)
- Salt, black pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1tbsp Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası)*,
- or 1tbsp tomato paste and1tsp mild paprika
- 500g fresh potato gnocchi
- 250g fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized chunks
- Plus, a few handfuls (around 100g) of grated mozzarella cheese for the topping
- Large handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
- Medium to large saucepan
- Large and deep baking dish, 30cmx20cmx5cm, buttered or oiled
* I almost always have Turkish pepper paste in the fridge, and I love adding it to most stews; I find it particularly enhances a tomato sauce. It’s well worth visiting a Middle Eastern food shop and asking for biber salçası. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with tomato purée and a little paprika.
instructions:
- Start with the sauce.
- In a saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic to cold olive oil and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the tinned tomatoes, then add a little water to rinse out the tins so none of the tomato goodness is wasted — after all, they weren’t cheap.
- Season with salt, black pepper, a pinch of sugar, and Turkish pepper paste if you have it. If not, use tomato purée and a little paprika instead.
- Leave to simmer uncovered over a medium heat for a few minutes. It should not boil vigorously; a gentle simmer is ideal.
- While the sauce is cooking, butter a baking dish and add the gnocchi.
- After about 10 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning — you may need a little more salt or sugar to balance the acidity.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C with the fan on.
- Chop the basil and cut or tear the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces, reserving a few basil leaves for garnish.
- Once the sauce is ready, stir in the chopped basil. Pour it over the gnocchi, stirring gently to ensure they are all well coated.
- Nestle the mozzarella pieces evenly throughout, then scatter over some grated mozzarella.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the surface is golden and bubbling.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
ENJOY.
ENJOY.
Jelena Pop-Kostić 
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