Ricotta Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

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POV it’s Sunday and you want to make a gorgeous Sunday sauce and fresh pasta, but you don’t want the time commitment. Enter ricotta gnocchi alla Sorrentina - the fastest from-scratch pasta you could probably make. Fluffy pillows of ricotta gnocchi are paired with a classic Sorrentina sauce - a rich tomato sauce from the Campania region that combines the Italian holy-trinity: tomato, basil and mozzarella.

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Ricotta Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Serves 4

Ingredients

Ricotta Gnocchi

• 500g traditional ricotta, drained for 30 min to remove extra moisture

• 2 egg yolks

• 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 200g tipo 00 flour (plus extra for dusting)

Alla Sorrentina sauce 

• EVOO

• 2 garlic cloves, whole but crushed slightly 

• 1 large jar passata (700ml) 

• Handful of basil 

• 250g mozzarella cheese

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the drained ricotta, egg yolks, salt and Parmigiano cheese and use a fork to combine.

2. Tip the ricotta mixture onto your work surface and spread out using a bench scraper.

3. Sprinkle over the flour and using a bench scraper and a cutting motion, incorporate the flour into the ricotta until just combined.

4. Use your hands and a little extra flour if it feels necessary, to bring the dough together until it’s in one large ball.

5. Divide the ball into several pieces.

6. Roll each piece out into a rope 2-3cm in thickness.

7. Dust well then cut 2-3cm pieces in each rope to form your gnocchi.

8. Dust with flour and set aside on a baking tray dusted with flour until ready to use.

9. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan. 

10. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic cloves until fragrant, then pour in the passata. 

11. Fill the passata bottle half way with water to rinse it out and add this to the pan, then simmer for 20 minutes.

12. Remove the garlic cloves and season to taste with salt. 

13. Add the cooked gnocchi then remove from the heat.  

14. Stir through roughly 200g mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. 

15. Top the skillet with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling. 

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