Gnocchi with rocket & simple tomato sauce

Here’s to weekends, here’s to spring, here’s to fresh fragrant cherry tomatoes, here’s to wine, conversation & laughter, here’s to making gnocchi with the people we love.

To me there’s nothing more special than making pasta with loved ones. I learned to make gnocchi with my step mother’s, mum (Nonna Donni) when I was young & the novelty never wore off. I’m sure these days I don’t do it correctly & I would get a smack over the hands if Nonna Donni saw, forgive me! The expression “for god” in the ingredients refers to having a little extra of things because you never know how much liquid flour will adsorb & so on, charming no?

Potato Gnocchi

(adapted from “The Silver Spoon“)

Ingredients:

• 1kg floury potatoes
• 1 egg + 1 yolk lightly beaten
• 1 cup plain flour + 1/2 cup extra “for god”
• Approx 1 tsp sea salt
• Simple tomato sauce
• 2 cups baby rocket
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Peel & steam the potatoes until cooked through. Using a potato ricer, puree hot cooked potatoes into a large bowl. Add salt to taste. Sift in four in batches stirring with a fork, finally add the eggs. stir with the fork & then turn out onto a floured surface to lightly knead. Please for the love of god do not torture this dough! Bring it together gently until just combined. Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a rolling boil. To shape the gnocchi, split the dough into 4 balls. Roll each ball into a sausage about as thick as a mans thumb  & cut into pieces the size of your thumb tip. Roll with your hands & roll a fork over one side of the gnocchi, leave to rest on a floured tray.

Cook gnocchi in batches until they float to the surface of the water, remove with a slotted spoon. Serve hot with simple tomato sauce, parmesan & baby rocket.

(serves 3-4)

Simple Rustic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1  tablespoon bottled caramelized onions (please don’t judge me!)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste
• 5 large basil leaves torn

Heat the oil in a frying pan & add minced garlic, fry until fragrant & add the cherry tomatoes. Cook until skins begin to blister & roughly mash with a potato masher. Add caramelized onion & season to taste. Reduce heat to medium & continue to cook until sauce is slightly reduced. Add basil leaves & turn heat off.