GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA

When we were living in Cape Town the best Italian restaurant for us was "Pappa and Ciccia".
The owner was Nando, who then became a very good friend of ours.
One of his many specialities were "Gnocchi alla sorrentina", my son Luca's favorite dish.
I prepared them the other night and I decided to share the recepe with you!

Gnocchi alla sorrentina



Ingredienti for gnocchi:

(Ingr. for 4/6 people)

850 g white potatoes
200 g flour
1 egg
nutmeg

Boil potatoes with skin on for around 40 min or till soft.
Let them cool down, peel them and mash them on a wooden board.
Add flour, egg and 2 pinches of nutmeg and form a dough.
If dough is too soft add more flour.
Form a ball.
Cut a small piece from ball and roll it in a tubular shape of half inch diameter.
Then cut it with a knife in small cubes.



Ingredients for tomatoe sauce:

1 can of tomatoes puree
1 celery stick
1 carrot
half onion
1 clove of garlic
origanum
olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 TBS parmesan cheese
basil leaves


Cover base of a pot with 2/3 TBS of olive oil.
Add garlic, onion, celery and carrot and warm it up.
Add tomatoes puree, a pinch of salt and oreganum.
Cook for 15 min then add basil.

Cook gnocchi in boiling salted water till they come up to surface
(4/5 minutes), then drain them.
Mix gnocchi with a bit of tomato sauce, add mozzarella and stir well.
Add more tomato sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and decorate with basil leaves,
if in season.