Gnocchi di Patate al Pomodoro e BasilicoPotato Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil

Cook the potatoes in their skins

• 1 Meanwhile(While the potatoes cook) Clear the work surface and set out a sieve or potato ricer, dough scraper, 2 large trays and 50g semolina.
• 2 Meanwhile(While the potatoes cook) Beat 1 egg and let it come to room temperature.
• 3 Scrub 1000g floury potatoes with a brush under running water to remove all soil. Use the corner of a knife to cut out any sprouts.
• 4 Divide the potatoes into 2 groups by size so you can lift out the smaller, quicker-cooking ones first. Cook them whole without cutting.
• 5 Arrange the potatoes without overlapping in a large pot, cover with water and place over high heat without adding salt.
• 6 When boiling, reduce to medium heat and cook for 30–40 minutes, keeping the water at a gentle simmer.
• 7 Lift out each potato with tongs as soon as a bamboo skewer slides easily into its center.

Sieve while hot and make the dough

• 1 Hold the cooked potatoes with a cloth and peel them with a paring knife while hot.
• 2 Pass the peeled potatoes through a sieve while still hot, spreading them into a long, narrow mound on the work surface.
• 3 Leave the sieved potatoes spread out for 5 minutes to release all their steam.
• 4 When cool enough to touch and only slightly warm, sprinkle evenly with 8g salt and 0.3g freshly grated nutmeg.
• 5 Pour over 1 beaten egg and sift in an initial 200g flour.
• 6 Use a dough scraper to cut the flour into the potatoes. When no dry flour remains, press just 3–4 times with the heel of your hand to bring the dough together.
• 7 If it still sticks to your hands, add flour in 20g increments, up to a maximum of 250g, and bring together in the same way.

Check the flour with a test cook (prova di cottura)

• 1 Meanwhile(While the dough rests under a cloth) Put 1L water in a small pot over high heat and begin bringing it to the boil for the test.
• 2 Meanwhile(While the test water heats) Cover the remaining dough with a cloth to prevent drying.
• 3 Add 5g fine salt to the boiling water.
• 4 Pinch off 2 thumb-tip-sized pieces of dough, round them gently in your palms and drop them into the boiling water.
• 5 Cook for 30 seconds after they float, lift out and cut in half to check the inside and texture.
• 6 If they disintegrate in the water or the cut surface is wet and sticky, add 20g flour to the dough and repeat the test, up to a maximum of 250g.
• 7 If they taste floury or feel very springy and too firm, proceed to shaping without adding more flour.

Make a light pomodoro sauce

• 1 Meanwhile(While the sauce cooks) Bring 4L water to the boil in a separate pot over high heat.
• 2 Empty 800g canned whole tomatoes into a bowl and roughly crush them by hand. Remove any tough cores and stem ends with your fingers and add all the can juices.
• 3 Peel 2 garlic cloves, lightly crush with the flat of a knife and remove the germs.
• 4 Put 45ml olive oil and the 2 garlic cloves in a wide frying pan and warm slowly over low heat for 5–6 minutes until lightly colored and fragrant.
• 5 Remove the garlic, add all the crushed tomatoes at once and turn the heat to medium.
• 6 When the tomatoes simmer, add 3g salt and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula.
• 7 Submerge 1 stemmed sprig of basil in the sauce and cook over low heat for a further 5 minutes.
• 8 Taste; if the acidity is sharp, dissolve in 2g caster sugar. Finish seasoning with 2g salt.
• 9 Remove the basil sprig and turn off the heat.

Shape the gnocchi

• 1 Dust 2 trays with a total of 30g semolina, covering the bottoms.
• 2 Divide the dough into 6 portions and cover those not in use with a cloth to prevent drying.
• 3 Sprinkle the work surface with a little semolina, using only what is needed from the remaining 20g, and roll 1 portion into a rope 2cm thick.
• 4 Cut the rope into 2cm lengths with a dough scraper.
• 5 Press each piece against the back of a fork or a gnocchi board, pressing gently with your thumb and rolling it toward you to create grooves.
• 6 Arrange the shaped gnocchi on the trays without overlapping and shape the remaining 5 portions in the same way.

Cook the gnocchi

• 1 Dissolve 60g coarse salt in 6L boiling water.
• 2 Brush the inside of a tray lightly with olive oil to hold the cooked gnocchi.
• 3 Take the sauce pan off the heat and leave it warm with its residual heat.
• 4 Reduce the water from a rolling boil to a gentler boil with a visibly moving surface.
• 5 Slide the gnocchi off the tray into the pot in batches of 30–40, according to the pot size.
• 6 Immediately after adding them, gently sweep a wooden spatula across the bottom 1 time to prevent sticking.
• 7 After the gnocchi float, wait 20–30 seconds, then lift them out with a slotted ladle and spread them without overlapping on the tray lightly brushed with olive oil.
• 8 Cook the remaining gnocchi in the same way in a total of 4 batches and spread them on the same tray.
• 9 Reserve 100ml cooking water.

Toss with the sauce and finish

• 1 Meanwhile(While tossing) Warm 4 plates with hot water and dry them.
• 2 Return the sauce pan to medium heat and add 50ml of the reserved 100ml cooking water.
• 3 Transfer all the gnocchi from the tray to the pan.
• 4 Shake and toss the pan for 30–40 seconds to coat everything in sauce without using a wooden spatula. If the sauce is heavy, add the remaining cooking water in 20ml increments.
• 5 Turn off the heat, sprinkle in 40g Parmigiano and shake the pan again to distribute it.
• 6 Tear in the 10 basil leaves reserved for finishing and toss 2–3 times to mix.

Plate

• 1 Divide the gnocchi evenly among 4 warm plates, mounding them high.
• 2 Spoon the sauce remaining in the pan over the center of each plate.
• 3 Divide the finishing 15ml olive oil among the 4 plates and drizzle over.
• 4 Grind 1g black pepper and distribute evenly among the 4 plates.
• 5 Place the 8 whole garnish basil leaves in the center, using 2 leaves per 1 plate.