Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Boil the potatoes whole

Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer 35–45 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Boiling them unpeeled keeps water out of the flesh, which is the first secret to light gnocchi.

• 1 kg potatoes

✅ C'est prêt quand : a knife or skewer goes through the center with no resistance

Peel and rice while hot

As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain and peel them while still hot, holding them with a fork or a kitchen towel. Immediately pass the hot flesh through a potato ricer onto a clean work surface. Working fast while they're hot stops the potatoes from turning gluey, so you need less flour and the gnocchi stay tender.

• 1 kg potatoes (from step 1)

✅ C'est prêt quand : all the potato is riced into a light, fluffy pile

Mix the dough

Let the riced potato cool for 2–3 minutes, then spread it out and sprinkle over the flour, egg yolk and salt. Using a bench scraper or your hands, fold everything together just until it comes into a smooth dough. Stop as soon as it holds together: overworking the dough builds up gluten and makes the gnocchi dense and rubbery instead of soft.

• 250 g "00" flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the dough is smooth, slightly soft, and no longer sticky on your hands

Shape the gnocchi

Cut the dough into pieces and roll each into a rope about 2 cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut the ropes into 2 cm pillows and, if you like, roll each one gently over the back of a fork or a gnocchi board to leave light ridges, which help the sauce cling. Dust the shaped gnocchi lightly with flour and set them on a tray without stacking.

✅ C'est prêt quand : all the dough is shaped into small, evenly sized pillows

Simmer the tomato sauce

Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp, season with salt, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Stir in the torn basil at the end and remove the garlic cloves.

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 800 g San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 pinch sugar
• 10 leaves basil

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce has thickened slightly and no longer tastes watery

Boil the gnocchi

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously, like pasta water. Cook the gnocchi in batches: they are ready moments after they rise and float to the surface, usually 1–2 minutes, so watch them closely and don't walk away. Lift them out with a slotted spoon straight into the tomato sauce rather than draining them in a colander, which can crush them.

• to taste coarse salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the gnocchi have floated to the surface and taste tender all the way through

Layer, top and bake

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Spoon a little sauced gnocchi into a baking dish, scatter over some mozzarella, then repeat the layers, finishing with mozzarella and the Parmigiano on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted with golden spots and the edges are bubbling. Let it rest 5 minutes before scattering fresh basil leaves and serving.

• 250 g mozzarella
• 40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano
• to serve fresh basil

✅ C'est prêt quand : the cheese is melted, bubbling, and lightly golden in spots