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Campania · Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Soft potato gnocchi baked in San Marzano tomato sauce with mozzarella that melts into golden pools.

Total

75 min

Prep

35 min

Cook

40 min

Serves

4

IntermediateCampanianBakedVegetarianComfortFamily-style
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina — Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

The Story

Where it comes from

Born on the cliffs of Sorrento, this dish marries the lightest gnocchi with a slow-simmered tomato sauce and fior di latte mozzarella. Baked in a terracotta dish, the cheese turns molten and the edges crisp. It's the Sunday lunch of the Amalfi Coast — joyful, generous, and deeply comforting.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Starchy potatoes (russet/Yukon)

    1 kg

  • 00 flour

    approximate — depends on potatoes

    250 g

  • Egg yolk

    1

  • Salt

    1 tsp

For the sauce

  • San Marzano tomatoes

    passata or whole peeled

    800 g

  • Garlic

    2 cloves

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

    60 ml

  • Fresh basil

    large bunch

  • Salt and pepper

    to taste

To finish

  • Fior di latte mozzarella

    torn, drained well

    250 g

  • Parmigiano Reggiano

    grated

    50 g

Equipment

Potato ricerWooden boardTerracotta baking dishSlotted spoon

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Bake the potatoes

    50 min

    Bake whole, unpeeled potatoes at 200°C until tender (about 45 min). Cool slightly, peel, rice while warm.

  2. 2

    Make the dough

    8 min

    Mound riced potato, add yolk, salt, and most of the flour. Knead lightly until smooth. Add flour only as needed.

    Chef's note · Overworking = gummy gnocchi. Keep it gentle.

  3. 3

    Shape and cook

    5 min

    Roll into ropes, cut 2 cm pieces, roll over fork tines. Boil in salted water — they're done when they float (90 seconds).

  4. 4

    Make the sauce

    20 min

    Soften garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes, basil stems, salt. Simmer 20 minutes until rich.

  5. 5

    Bake

    15 min

    Toss gnocchi with sauce in a baking dish. Top with torn mozzarella and Parmigiano. Bake at 220°C until bubbling and golden.

Chef tips

  • ·Bake — don't boil — the potatoes. Less water means lighter gnocchi.
  • ·Drain mozzarella well or the dish gets watery.
  • ·A few minutes under the broiler at the end for golden tops.

Common mistakes

  • ·Using waxy potatoes — they make gluey gnocchi.
  • ·Adding too much flour. Soft is good. Dry is dead.
  • ·Skipping the bake step — sauced-only gnocchi misses the magic.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Greco di Tufo

Campania

Volcanic, mineral white that brightens the cheese.

Aglianico

Campania

If you prefer red, a young Aglianico cuts the richness.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Starchy potatoes (russet/Yukon)1 kg
  • 00 flour250 g
  • Egg yolk1
  • Salt1 tsp
  • San Marzano tomatoes800 g
  • Garlic2 cloves
  • Extra-virgin olive oil60 ml
  • Fresh basillarge bunch
  • Salt and pepperto taste
  • Fior di latte mozzarella250 g
  • Parmigiano Reggiano50 g

Questions

Frequently asked

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