Gnocchi alla sorrentina: the traditional recipe

If one dish carries the name of Sorrento around the world, it is gnocchi alla sorrentina. Soft potato gnocchi dressed with tomato sauce, diced mozzarella and plenty of Parmesan, baked until the cheese melts into strings and forms a golden crust, and finished with fresh basil. It is the home cooking of the peninsula at its simplest and most generous, the same cuisine described in our guide to Sorrento cuisine.

Here is the version from Nonna Rosaria's recipes: she recommends enjoying this dish in good company, with a glass of local wine.

Ingredients

Serves 6:

• 1 kg potatoes
• 200 g flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• a pinch of salt
• for the topping: tomato sauce, plenty of grated Parmesan, diced mozzarella, fresh basil

Method

1. Boil the potatoes, peel them and mash them while still hot.
2. Work them together with the flour, eggs, oil (or butter) and a pinch of salt until you have a smooth dough.
3. Roll the dough into ropes about as thick as a finger and cut them into small, even pieces.
4. Roll each gnocco over the tines of a fork: the little grooves will hold more sauce, and therefore more flavour.
5. Drop the gnocchi into plenty of salted boiling water: they are done as soon as they float to the surface.
6. Drain them and arrange them in a baking dish or in small individual pots; dress them with the tomato sauce, plenty of grated Parmesan and diced mozzarella.
7. Bake until golden and, just before serving, garnish with fresh basil.

Our tip

The individual pots, the traditional terracotta coccetti, are not just for show: they hold the heat, so the gnocchi reach the table still gooey. If you would like to taste them before trying your hand at the stove, look for them in Sorrento's restaurants and trattorias, where they are an ever-present classic. And for another traditional pasta dish, try spaghetti with courgettes.