Simple gnocchi with tomato sauce and winter salad
This simple version of a gnocchi recipe uses just flour, water, oil and salt rather than potatoes.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 anchovy fillet
- 20 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
- handful fresh basil, plus extra to garnish
For the gnocchi
For the winter salad
Method
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Sweat the garlic and chilli, if using, for 30 seconds. Stir in the anchovy and tomatoes and then pour in 1 small glass of water. Add the basil, cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes.
To make the gnocchi, place a pinch of salt and the oil in a large saucepan, pour in the water and bring to the boil. Gradually whisk in the flour and continue whisking for about 1 minute until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat, place on a board and wait for a minute to cool slightly. Knead into a dough, roll out and divide into small pieces. Roll out each piece into a thin sausage shape and slice into small gnocchi-shape pieces. Make indentations on the top with a fork and set aside on the board.
To make the winter salad, place the radicchio, fennel, orange, Parmesan and walnuts in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the oil and vinegar. Just before serving, stir the dressing into the salad.
To serve, place the gnocchi in a saucepan of salted boiling water and cook until the gnocchi pieces float on the surface of the water. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the tomato sauce, stirring well. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, garnish with the basil and serve with the winter salad on the side.
