Gnocchi alla Sorrentina (Authentic Italian Recipe) (2024)

Ingredients

Gnocchi

• 3 1/2 cups (454 g) flour
• 12 ounces (355 ml) boiling water
• (a little semolina for dusting baking trays)

Tomato Sauce

• See recipe card below

Additional Ingredients

• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella (di bufala if you can find it) chopped into small pieces
• 2 or 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
• 4 bocconcini of fresh mozzarella (optional)
• sprigs of basil (optional)

Instructions

MAKE THE GNOCCHI:

1. Measure the water and put into a kettle or pot to boil. Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the boiling water into the well in the flour.
2. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, or a spurtle, if you have one, stir the water into the flour as quickly as possible, mixing as much of the flour into the water as possible while the water is still hot.Continue stirring until the mixture is cool enough to handle, then begin to gently knead by hand until a rough dough is formed. Place onto a floured countertop and continue to knead gently.
3. The dough should come together nicely, but it will become dry and hard quickly, so keep it covered with slightly damp cloth as you roll the gnocchi. Cut a slice of dough and begin to roll it into a long sausage shape on a lightly floured counter.
4. Once the piece of doughis rolled into a uniform size from end to end, cut 1/2" to 3/4" (pick one size and make them all the same) pieces and no, this is not my best knife (cutting on granite is not recommended)!
5. Now you are ready to start making rolling the gnocchi, but before you begin, sprinkle a baking tray lightly with semolina or fine corn meal, or even flour (but semolina works best so they don't stick to the tray). If you don't have thewooden gnocchi tool, use a dinner fork. Begin by holding one piece of dough with your thumb and two fingers, gently push your fingers into the dough, rolling it down the tool or fork until it is a circular shape.
6. Place the finished gnocchi on the prepared tray and continue the rolling, cutting and shaping until all the dough has been used.
7. Keep the gnocchi covered with a clean kitchen towel until you are ready to cook them.

MAKE THE SAUCE

1. See recipe card below.

COOK THE GNOCCHI

1. Carefully drop the gnocchi into salted water that is at a rolling boil. I cooked them in two batches so they don't stick and cook more quickly. When they rise to the top, let them cook about 3 or 4 minutes, then remove them with a strainer.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

1. In a large pot or bowl, add a little sauce to the bottom and begin adding the gnocchi. Add more sauce and the rest of the gnocchi when it's finished cooking. Add the chopped mozzarella and some grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Gently mix to combine. Add a little of the water from boiling the gnocchi if it seems a little too dry.

BAKE THE GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA

1. Put the gnocchi into oven-proof bowls, place on a tray and bake in a 400˚F (200˚C) oven for about 20 minutes. Remove when bubbling and completely heated through.
2. Add one bocconcino of mozzarella to the center of each bowl with a sprig of basil, and serve.

Notes

This information is not guaranteed to be correct.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 5 cloves fresh garlic (not in a jar, dried, powdered, or frozen) preferably grown in USA/Europe
• small bunch of fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (my family likes to use parsley in sugo)
• 1 (28-32 oz) 800g can/jar of whole, chopped tomatoes or puree
• about 1 1/2 level tsp sea salt
• 3 or 4 large leaves of fresh basil, more to add to each plate, if desired

Instructions

1. Pour the oil into a large saute pan (not a deep pot) over medium high heat. Crush the garlic and add it to the oil (if you want a spicy sauce, you can add some hot pepper, fresh or flakes, at this point). Saute the garlic until it just starts to brown, then add the parsley.
2. Turn the heat up to high. Now add the tomatoes, and quickly cover with the lid for about 30 seconds, until the squirting subsides. Stir with a wooden spoon and lower the heat a little. It is important that this sauce is cooked at a fast simmer, as it is cooked briefly.
3. Add the salt and continue to simmer at a fast pace, and stir often.
4. The sauce will thicken quickly, so do not overcook it, and have it become too thick; about 5 to 7 minutes should be sufficient.
5. Taste the sauce, if it doesn't taste delicious, it probably just needs a little more salt. Turn off the heat and add the fresh basil (I tear mine into pieces). Also, unless absolutely necessary, do not wash your basil. Wipe it with a damp paper towel instead, so the water doesn't ruin the flavor and aroma.
6. Use as desired.

Notes

Nutrition information is only an estimate.