Potato Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil

Method

1. Scrub the potatoes and put them, skins on, in a 20 cm pot with cold water to cover by 2 cm. Bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to medium heat and cook for about 30 min in total. They are done when a skewer slides into the centre of the largest one with no resistance. Cooking them in their skins keeps them from soaking up water, so the dough needs less flour.

   Add in this stepFloury potatoes, similar size (e.g. Russet or Maris Piper) 500 g

   high heat→medium heat

2. Drain, then peel them while hot, holding each in a tea towel. Press them through a potato ricer (or push them through a sieve with a spoon) onto a lightly floured work surface, spread them out and leave for 5 min to let the steam escape and cool to lukewarm. Letting the steam out keeps the dough from turning sticky.

3. Sprinkle the salt over the potato and sift about 85% of the flour on top. Cut it in with a bench scraper or your fingertips, gather into one mass and knead gently by folding for no more than a minute, until soft like an earlobe and barely sticky. Overworking makes gnocchi tough and heavy.

   Add in this stepSalt (for the dough) ½ tspPlain (all-purpose) flour 128 g

4. Divide the dough into fist-sized pieces and, using the remaining flour for dusting, roll each under your palms into a 2 cm thick rope. Cut into 2 cm pieces and leave them plain, or roll each one over the back of a fork with your thumb to make ridges that hold the sauce. Spread them out on a floured tray so they don't touch.

   Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 23 g

5. Pour 3 L of water into a large pot and bring it to the boil on high heat. This takes about 12 min, so make the sauce in the meantime. Add the coarse salt once the water is boiling hard.

   Add in this stepCoarse salt (for the cooking water) 1½ tbsp

   high heat

6. Put the olive oil and crushed garlic in a 24 cm pan on medium-low heat. When the garlic sizzles and turns pale golden, pour in the passata. Season with salt, tear in half the basil and simmer for 10 min, until slightly reduced and thick enough to coat a spoon. Fish out the garlic.

   Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 1.4 tbspGarlic cloves, crushed with the flat of a knife 1Tomato passata (sieved tomatoes) 300 mlSalt (for the sauce) to tasteBasil leaves 2½

   medium-low heat

7. Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water on high heat in 1 batch(es). Test one first: if it falls apart, work a little more flour into the dough. Each batch takes about 2 min: they sink, then float up; 30 seconds after they float, lift them out with a slotted spoon straight into the sauce. Keep back a ladle of the cooking water.

   high heat

8. Put the pan on low heat, add a spoonful or two of the cooking water and gently shake the pan for 1 min to coat the gnocchi; stirring hard with a spoon would crush them. Serve at once with the Parmigiano, the remaining basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

   Add in this stepParmigiano Reggiano, finely grated 30 gBasil leaves 2½Extra virgin olive oil 0.6 tbsp

   low heat