Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Sorrento's bake: potato gnocchi in a quick tomato sauce, topped with torn fior di latte mozzarella and basil, finished under the broiler until it bubbles.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Gnocchi alla sorrentina takes plain potato gnocchi, tosses them in a simple San Marzano tomato sauce, and bakes the whole thing under a blanket of torn mozzarella until it blisters and browns in spots. It is weeknight-simple with the payoff of a baked dish.
Good potato gnocchi, store-bought or homemade, matter more than the sauce here; they should be light, not dense, so they do not turn gummy once baked.
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina is one of the twenty most famous Italian foods.
method
Heat the oven to 220°C (430°F) or the broiler to high.
Warm the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes with half the basil, seasoning with salt.
Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until they float, 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.
Fold the gnocchi through the tomato sauce in an oven-safe dish or individual dishes.
Scatter the torn mozzarella and Parmigiano over the top.
Bake or broil until the cheese melts and browns in spots, 8 to 10 minutes.
Finish with the remaining basil and serve straight from the dish.
chef's tips
- Fior di latte, not buffalo mozzarella, is traditional here; it browns better and holds its shape.
- Individual gratin dishes give everyone their own bubbling, browned top, which is half the appeal.
- Do not overcook the gnocchi in the water; they finish cooking in the oven.