Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Boil the potatoes whole in their skins

• 1 MeanwhileMeanwhile, cut 300 g fiordilatte into 1 cm cubes, spread in a sieve over a dish and refrigerate to drain for at least 30 minutes.
• 2 MeanwhileMeanwhile, reserve 10 g of the 20 g basil with stems for the sauce. Pick the other 10 g, about 10 leaves, put briefly in cold water, dry and refrigerate.
• 3 Scrub 1000 g unpeeled potatoes under running water and sort larger ones so the sizes are similar.
• 4 Arrange without overlapping in a pot, cover with water and set uncovered over medium heat.
• 5 After boiling begins, lower to a gentle, steady simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 35–45 minutes.

Peel and rice while hot

• 1 Drain the pot and remove 2–3 potatoes at a time, keeping the rest covered in the pot to stay warm.
• 2 Hold with a cloth and steady with a fork while peeling with a small knife while still hot.
• 3 Pass the peeled potatoes while hot through a potato ricer or fine sieve directly onto the worktop in a loose shower.
• 4 Once all are riced, spread thinly and leave for about 5 minutes to release steam.

Bind without eggs using minimal flour

• 1 Sprinkle 8 g salt evenly over the spread potatoes.
• 2 Sprinkle over 150 g flour and use a scraper to cut it into the potatoes.
• 3 Gather for only 30–60 seconds, folding from outside inward rather than pressing outward with the heel of your hand.
• 4 If still sticky, add flour 10 g at a time without exceeding 200 g total in the dough, repeating the same movement.
• 5 Round the dough, cover with a cloth to prevent drying and set at the side of the worktop.

Test-boil to finalize the flour quantity

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the dough rests, put 1000 ml water in a small pot over high heat to start boiling for the test.
• 2 Add 10 g coarse salt to the boiling water.
• 3 Pinch off 2 pieces of dough, 10 g each, round to thumb-sized pieces and gently put in the boiling water.
• 4 Cook for 20 seconds after they float, then lift out with a slotted spoon.
• 5 Split 1 to inspect the center and taste the other 1.
• 6 If they fall apart or their surfaces dissolve, add 10 g flour to the dough without exceeding 200 g total, gather again for 30 seconds and repeat the test with 1 more piece.

Roll, cut and ridge the gnocchi

• 1 Dust a tray thinly with 25 g semolina.
• 2 Dust the worktop lightly with 20 g flour.
• 3 Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll 1 at a time into ropes 2 cm across, keeping the rest covered.
• 4 Cut the ropes into 2 cm pieces with a scraper.
• 5 Press each 1 piece with your thumb against a gnocchi board or the back of a fork and roll toward you, making ridges on one face and a hollow on the other.
• 6 Arrange without overlapping on the tray and lightly sprinkle with the remaining 15 g semolina.

Cook the garlic-and-basil tomato sauce

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 220°C.
• 2 MeanwhileWhile the sauce simmers, put 4000 ml water in a large pot, cover and set over high heat.
• 3 MeanwhileWhile the sauce simmers, grate 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano and divide into 2 portions of 30 g.
• 4 Put 800 g whole peeled tomatoes in a bowl and crush by hand into coarse pulp.
• 5 Put 40 ml extra virgin olive oil and 2 peeled garlic cloves crushed with the flat of a knife in a frying pan over low heat.
• 6 Heat gently for 3–4 minutes until the garlic is lightly colored and fragrant, then remove it.
• 7 Add the crushed tomatoes all at once, raise to medium heat and stir from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
• 8 Once bubbling, reduce to medium-low, submerge the 10 g basil stems and leaves, add 6 g salt and simmer for 20–25 minutes.
• 9 Remove and discard the basil stems when cooked.

Briefly boil the gnocchi and dress with sauce

• 1 Brush the inside of ovenproof earthenware dishes or a gratin dish with 10 ml olive oil.
• 2 Dissolve 40 g coarse salt in the 4000 ml boiling water and maintain a boil over high heat.
• 3 Gently slide in half the gnocchi, loosening any on the bottom with just one gentle movement of a wooden spoon.
• 4 Lift the floating gnocchi with a slotted spoon, drain and transfer directly to the sauce pan.
• 5 Cook the remaining half in the same way and transfer all to the sauce.
• 6 Set the pan over low heat, sprinkle in 30 g Parmigiano and shake the pan to toss for 30–40 seconds.

Layer in earthenware and bake

• 1 Spread half the dressed gnocchi evenly in the greased baking dish.
• 2 Scatter over half the drained diced fiordilatte, 150 g.
• 3 Add the remaining gnocchi and level the surface.
• 4 Scatter over the remaining 150 g fiordilatte, then 30 g Parmigiano across the top.
• 5 Bake on the upper rack of the oven preheated to 220°C for 12–15 minutes.

Rest, finish and serve

• 1 Remove the dish from the oven and rest on a trivet for 3 minutes.
• 2 Grind 1 tsp black pepper over the whole surface.
• 3 Scatter over the reserved 10 g basil leaves, about 10 leaves.
• 4 Carry the baking dish to the table and serve with a spoon.