Potato Gnocchi With Tomato Basil Sauce Food

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH HEIRLOOM BABY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the potatoes until cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh and push the flesh through a tamis, food mill or ricer. Spread the riced potato flesh on a clean work surface. Season with salt and allow it to release its steam for 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and a generous pinch of salt.
• Sift the flour over the potatoes and mix gently with your hands, lifting and letting the potatoes fall through your fingers. Drizzle the egg yolk mixture over the potatoes. Mix the dough and knead briefly until homogeneous. Roll into a log and cut into manageable pieces. Cover with a towel.
• One piece at a time, roll until approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into individual pieces about 1 inch long. Shape the gnocchi using a fork or other pasta tool. Lay on a floured tray and reserve. Set aside 2 cups of the gnocchi for this recipe; use the remaining gnocchi immediately or freeze for later use (see Cook's Note).
• For the assembly: Fill a pot with water and season with salt; the water should taste like seasoned broth, not salty like the sea. Bring the water to a boil.
• Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. When they rise to the surface, cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.
• While the gnocchi are cooking, add the Heirloom Baby Tomato Sauce to a saute pan with some red pepper flakes if using and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 3 ounces of the pasta water to the saute pan, then add the butter.
• Remove the gnocchi from the pot using a wire skimmer and add to the saute pan. (Note: You can also use a pasta basket or a perforated pan insert.) Toss the gnocchi in the pan to emulsify the butter and finish with some Parmesan and basil. Plate the gnocchi and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
• In a saute pan, heat the oil slightly. Add the garlic slices and saute for 30 seconds; there should be no color on the garlic. Add the tomatoes to the pan, season with a little salt and saute; the tomatoes will release their juices. Continue cooking until fairly dry. Add the basil and oregano and mix to incorporate. The sauce should be chunky, fresh looking and not too thin. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and red pepper flakes if needed.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO AND PRAWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
• Roast sweet potatoes for about 35 minutes or until flesh is tender when pierced with a skewer.
• Cool potatoes slightly and remove skin.
• You should have about 175g of potato flesh.
• Mash flour and sweet potato in a bowl until you have a smooth mixture.
• Add the nutmeg and mix again- season lightly if required.
• On a floured surface roll a ball (about the size of a brazil nut) of potato mixture- flouring your hands is also handy here.
• Flatten ball slightly with a fork.
• Continue process of making balls of potato mixture until it has all been used.
• Place in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.
• Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a non stick pan.
• Add garlic and onion and fry until soft.
• Add mushrooms and a little water if pan is getting dry.
• When mushrooms start to soften add the red wine (or 1tbsp water).
• Let the mixture bubble for a few moments and add oregano.
• Add tomatoes and juice to pan and stir well.
• Add prawns to sauce, stir well and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• The sauce should reduce to a thickened consistency.
• Add basil to sauce and stir.
• To cook gnocchi: Place gnocchi one by one in a large pan of boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes- they are ready when they rise to the surface.
• With a slotted spoon transfer gnocchi to dinner plate and top with sauce.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put both types of potato on a baking tray, prick all over with a fork, then bake for 50-60 mins until a knife easily slides into them. Cut all the potatoes in half to allow excess steam to escape as they cool.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic and chillies until softened. Tip in the tomatoes, stir in half the chopped basil, then cover and leave to cook over a low heat for 20-30 mins to make a thick sauce.
• When the baked potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully peel and discard the skins, then mash well until smooth. Stir in the flour, then knead briefly with your hands to create a dough, adding a little extra flour if the mixture is sticky.
• Halve the dough, then wrap one half and put it in the fridge for another day. Will keep chilled for up to three days. Quarter the remaining dough, then roll each piece into a sausage about 28cm long and cut into even bite-sized chunks. Lightly press using the back of a fork to create ridges, if you like, then set aside, spaced apart.
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then drop in the gnocchi and cook for 2-4 mins until they rise to the surface, then scoop them out using a slotted spoon. Don't let them overcook or they'll fall apart. Toss with half the tomato sauce, tear in half the remaining basil, and scatter over half the cheese. The remainder will keep chilled for up to three days. Make the rest of the gnocchi as described in step 4, then reheat in the sauce and serve as above with the remaining basil and cheese.

BASIL GNOCCHI WITH SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Begin with the sauce. Place the tomatoes in a small pan, then half fill the tomato can with water and add that to the pan.
• Stir in the shallot, garlic, herbs, chilies and salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil and simmer gently for at least an hour until thickened and dark red.
• Meanwhile, to make the gnocchi, boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender, then drain.
• Mash them well - this bit is important because lumps will be noticeable in the gnocchi, so use a potato ricer if you have one, or mash the potatoes thoroughly to as smooth a texture as possible.
• Sprinkle over the basil, plenty of salt and pepper and the flour.
• Using a wooden spoon or your hands, bring together to make a firm dough. Knead the dough gently for a couple of minutes and then roll out into sausages about 1/2in thick. Cut the sausages into pieces 1in long.
• Gently cook the gnocchi in a pan of simmering water for a minute or two, until they rise to the surface. Scoop them out as they rise, toss with the tomato sauce and arugula leaves, and serve.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes, and boil them until tender. Drain, and refrigerate overnight.
• Mash the potatoes well, or pass them through a ricer until smooth. Spread the potatoes on a flat surface, and make a well in the middle. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and pour them into the center of the well. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper. Stir slowly.
• While mixing, knead in the flour and the potatoes a little at a time. The dough should be moist but not sticky.
• On a floured work surface take one-fourth of the dough, and knead until it feels smooth (about 2 to 3 minutes). Roll the dough into a log approximately 1 inch thick. Cut the log into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Dust the pieces with flour. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• To give the dough the traditional gnocchi shape, place a piece of dough over the side of a cheese grater that has three or four long smile-shaped holes. Press the dough down over the hole, and gently roll it out to give it a shell shape. (This takes a few tries to get the technique.) Repeat with all the dough.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi all at once, and stir gently so they do not stick to the pot. When they are done they will float to the top. With a perforated spoon, remove them and serve immediately, or drop them into ice water until needed, then briefly reheat in boiling water.
• In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium flame and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic is golden. Increase heat to high, and add all of the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break open. Lower heat to simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before the sauce is done, add the basil leaves, season with salt and pepper, and stir gently. Taste for seasonings and serve.