Dundari alla Minorese - Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato & Basil Sauce

I must say we tried these for the first time and we loved them. We saw Gennaro Contaldo preparing this recipe on TV and we decided to try them out. Usually gnocchi are using floury potatoes although in this recipe that hails from the Italian region of Campania, potatoes are replaced with nice milky ricotta which makes them lighter. This is our take on this Italian dish that, as I said comes from the Amalfi coast of Italy, namely from Minori a town on between Salerno and Naples. It is a very simple dish to prepare and very filling not to say scrumptious. They are simply served with a delicious tasty tomato & basil sauce. Give them a go and you will love them :) You will need...

Serves 4

For the gnocchi

• 250g ricotta
• 200g plain flour, preferably ''00''
• 30g grated parmesan
• 3 egg yolks
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Pinch of grated nutmeg

For the sauce

• 2 large tins plum tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small dried chillies, chopped
• small bunch of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

How to...

1. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, flour, yolks, nutmeg and seasoning until you get a soft dough.
2. Knead on a well floured surface for about 5 minutes.
3. Shape the dough into an inch wide sausage. Cut into slices about 1cm or less. To make sure they do not stick to surface, add extra flour to the surface and cover the edges with flour. Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to boil.
4. In the meantime make the sauce by heating the olive oil, then add the garlic and chilli. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tomatoes. Return the pan to the heat and simmer partially covered on a high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the freshly torn basil leaves.
5. When the water boils, carefully throw in the gnocchi and cook until they start coming up to the water surface. About 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and put them in the tomato sauce. Stir carefully to coat in the sauce and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!

R&A