Ingredients

Gnocchi Ingredients

3 Large Potatoes - You use kumara or swedes instead if you would like a sweeter dough.

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon of Salt

3 Cups of White Flour

Half a cup of Semolina Flour

Tomato Basil Sauce Ingredients

Olive oil

Butter

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

1 large white onion

2 tbs of minced garlic

Black pepper and salt to taste

1 tbs of dry Basil

1 tbs of Oregano

2 tbs of tomato paste

Your favourite cheese - I use cheddar

Equipment

Big bowl

Rubber spatula

Knife

Deep frying pan

A large metal pot

Rolling pin

Method

Make the Gnocchi

1. Wash potatoes, remove eyes and leave skin on. Place potatoes into a large metal pot. Fill with water to just cover. Heavily salt the water. Place onto stove, heat water to a rolling boil for 10 to 12 minutes. The potatoes should be soft enough to press a knife into but not falling apart.
2. Dump out hot water and allow the potatoes to cool enough to touch.
3. Once cool pat potatoes dry thoroughly.
4. Remove the skins from the potatoes and place them in to a large bowl.
5. Mash the potatoes until smooth.
6. Make a well in the middle of the mashed potato and crack the egg. Slowly combine mash and egg.
7. Add half cup of sifted flour to mixture and use rubber spatula to fold flour into the mixture.
8. Continue to add sifted flour to the dough until the dough has just formed. The mixture must not be sticky and just hold together.
9. Flour a surface and roll out the dough gently. Roll to about 1/2 an inch thick
10. Cut dough into desired sizes for gnocchi. I usually cut them into a piece that is roughly the size of a 2 dollar coin. This makes large gnocchi.
11. Roll each piece into a 2 inch long, rounded shape. You may want to roll these over a gnocchi board if you would like them to have a grove. I prefer them rolled by hand.
12. Once all of dough is rolled into shape, sprinkle with semolina and leave to rest in a cool place.

Method

Make the sauce

1. Finely chop onions. Put deep sauce pan on the stove, put on medium heat. Add butter and olive oil. Once melted, add onions and cook until translucent.
2. Add garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Blend chopped tomatoes and add to the onions. Cook through.
4. Add tomato paste and herbs then combine
5. Add beef bouillon stock cube and a cup of water. Cook though and turn down heat to low.

Method

Combine!

1. Boil heavily salted water and add a batch of gnocchi. Cook for 1 and half minutes. Continue to cook in batches and combine with the sauce once all of the gnocchi is cooked.
2. Smother with as much cheese as you like and serve! You can bake this mixture in the oven if you would like a nice melted cheese.