Basil Gnocchi With Simple Tomato Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 14 ounces chopped tomatoes
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, leaves chopped
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 ounces arugula leaves
• 1 lb waxy potato (desiree, romano, estima or wilja)
• 1/2 ounce basil, finely chopped
• 7 ounces all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 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.
• 2 stir in the shallot, garlic, herbs, chilies and salt and pepper.
• 3 bring to the boil and simmer gently for at least an hour until thickened and dark red.
• 4 meanwhile, to make the gnocchi, boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender, then drain.
• 5 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.
• 6 sprinkle over the basil, plenty of salt and pepper and the flour.
• 7 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.
• 8 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.