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Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Basil sauce
Cook Time
- Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 800g ricotta, drained in a sieve overnight in the fridge
- 50g Grana Padano, finely grated
- 1¼ cups flour, plus extra for rolling
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil for tossing
Tomato Basil Sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 2 x 400g cans Italian chopped tomatoes, crushed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 big handful basil leaves
To Serve
- finely grated Grana Padano
- 1 small handful basil leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
Gnocchi
Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a medium bowl and mix together gently with a fork until a soft dough forms. Add a little more flour if the dough feels too sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench. Using floured hands, shape the dough into a long fat sausage, then cut the sausage into 4. Roll each to the thickness of your thumb and until smooth and even in length. Use a sharp knife dipped in flour to cut the dough into small, walnut-sized pieces. Transfer the gnocchi with a fish slice to a baking tray lined with a clean tea towel dusted lightly with flour.
Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to the boil. Get a large bowl of iced water ready to plunge the gnocchi into when cooked. Gently slip a quarter of the dumplings into the boiling water, leave for 1 minute, then stir gently with a wooden spoon. After 3-4 minutes they will start to float to the surface. Once they have all risen, scoop out with a wire skimmer and drop into the iced water. Continue until all the gnocchi are cooked. Once cool (about 5 minutes), drain well, toss with olive oil and, if not using straight away, refrigerate until ready to use.
Tomato Basil Sauce
Heat half the olive oil in a medium-sized heavy-based saucepan. Add the garlic and gently fry until fragrant and softened but not coloured. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Pass the sauce through a mouli then add the basil and remaining olive oil. Reheat the sauce gently when serving.
To serve
When ready to serve, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Heat the tomato and basil sauce until simmering. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and, when they rise to the surface, scoop out and toss through the warmed tomato sauce, then transfer to a large warm serving bowl. Grate Grana Padano over the top, scatter with fresh basil and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
