Creamy Basil Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Ready for a whole lot of flavours? This delicious italian dish is easy to make and perfect to impress your friends at dinner night!

Ingredients - serves 4

1 punch of basil

500g starchy potatoes

150g semolina

50g all purpose flour

1 egg

125g ricotta cheese

400g sieved tomatoes

1 tbsp. tomato purée

50g grated parmesan

1 small onion

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. sugar

some olive oil

salt and pepper

parmesan for garnish

Method

Boil potatoes, peel and mash. Wash basil and blend until smooth. Add flour, semolina, grated parmesan, egg, basil puree and a pinch of salt to the mashed potatoes, combine and knead on a flour-dusted surface.. Add some extra semolina if necessary - the dough should not stick to your fingers. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime peel onion and garlic and chop finely. Heat some olive oil in a large pan and braise lightly for about 2 minutes. Add garlic, tomato purée & sieved tomatoes and let simmer for a few minutes at medium heat. Stir in sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Blend tomato sauce until smooth. Add ricotta cheese and mix well.

On a flour-dusted surface divide dove into halves and form into sausages about 2 cm thick. Cut into 2 cm lengths. Form into balls and flatten using a fork. Place gnocchi on a flour-dusted cutting board.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 2-3 minutes - they are ready when they come to the surface. Remove with a skimmer and drain.

Toss gnocchi in creamy tomato sauce and serve with parmesan.