"This recipe holds a very strong place in my heart being my late Sicilian Nanna’s recipe. She used to make this sauce for me all the time to be tossed through pasta, poured over crumbed meats or roasted veggies or, my personal favourite, to be eaten with ricotta gnocchi. This recipe is also relevant and appropriate within these strange and trying times. You will be able to find most of these ingredients in your pantry and you will be able to store the leftover sauce and gnocchi in your freezer for 2 - 3 months. The recipe will leave you with plenty of leftover sauce! Also, if you cannot get your hands on fresh tomatoes, you can replace this with 2 x 400g tinned of chopped tomatoes."
Ricotta Gnocchi in Tomato and Basil Marinara
5
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
Jump to Section
- Recipe Card
Prep time 20mins
Cook time 45mins
Serves or Makes: 4
Recipe Card
For the Tomato and Basil Marinara
ingredients
- 4 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 (24-ounce) can passata, or tomato puree
- 1 large bunch fresh basil
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
For the Ricotta Gnocchi
ingredients
- 3/4 cup "00" flour
- 9 ounces ricotta
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
- pinch of salt
For the Tomato and Basil Marinara
Method
Step 1
Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil, season with salt similarly to pasta water. With a small paring knife, score an 'X' mark at the bottom of each tomato.
Step 2
Using a spider or colander, gently place the tomatoes into the boiling hot water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, so the skin can soften. Once the skin has become loose, remove tomatoes from the water and let cool slightly. Using a paring knife, peel the skin off of the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes and set to the side.
Step 3
In a large Dutch oven on low heat, add the olive oil and the crushed garlic. Stir the garlic continuously until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
Step 4
Add the tomatoes, passata, brown sugar, basil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper into the pot. Let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes.. Keep tasting your sauce and adjusting with more salt, pepper or sugar if needed. While your sauce is cooking, prepare your gnocchi.
For the Ricotta Gnocchi
Step 1
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together with your hands until a ball forms. If your dough is too sticky, add more flour as needed. The dough should feel soft and delicate.
Step 2
Lightly dust your working space with flour. Cut your dough into four equal sections. Then roll out each section into a sausage shape, 1 inch thick. Using a butter knife, cut iinto 1 inch section.
Step 3
Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil, seasoning assertively with salt. Add in half of the gnocchi cooking until they float to the top, 1-2 minutes. Scoop them out with a mesh strainer into a large bowl and add the remaining half of the pasta.
Step 4
Place your gnocchi into a large bowl, pour the sauce over and mix through. Serve with some parmesan and basil sprinkled on top.