Gnocchi di patate al pomodoro
Soft potato gnocchi made from floury potatoes and just enough flour, tossed in a simple tomato and basil sauce with Parmigiano.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Good potato gnocchi are light pillows, not chewy pellets, and that comes down to the potatoes and the flour. Boil floury potatoes in their skins so they stay dry, peel and rice them while hot, then work in only as much flour as it takes to make a soft dough. Too much flour makes them heavy. An egg holds the dough together more easily but makes it tighter; many Italian cooks leave it out. Roll the dough into ropes, cut short pieces and roll each over a fork or gnocchi board so the ridges catch the sauce. They are cooked a minute after they float. The sauce here is the plain one most Italian homes use: tomatoes cooked down with olive oil, garlic and basil, then Parmigiano at the table.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Gnocchi
- Sauce
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- Floury potatoes, same size, unpeeled1 kg
- Wheat flour, tipo 00 or plain, plus extra for dusting250 g
- Egg (optional)1 large
- Salt4.9 ml
Sauce
- Plum tomatoes, tinned peeled, crushed600 g
- Olive oil44 ml
- Garlic, lightly crushed1 clove
- Basil1 handful
Ingredients
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, to serve40 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Boil the potatoes in their skins until a knife slides in easily, 30–40 minutes. Meanwhile warm the oil with the garlic, add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and simmer 20 minutes; add basil at the end.
40 min
Step 2
Peel the potatoes while hot and pass them through a ricer onto a floured board. Let the steam escape for a few minutes.
8 min
Step 3
Add salt, the egg if using, and most of the flour. Work it together lightly into a soft dough that no longer sticks, adding flour only as needed.
5 min
Tip: Knead as little as possible; overworked dough makes gummy gnocchi.
Step 4
Roll into ropes as thick as a finger, cut into 2 cm pieces and roll each over a fork. Lay them on a floured tray.
20 min
Step 5
Cook in batches in plenty of salted water. Lift them out about a minute after they float, toss in the sauce and serve with Parmigiano.
8 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 1309 kcal
- Protein
- 38.2 g
- Carbs
- 244.3 g
- Fat
- 16.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 4.2 g
- Fibre
- 10.3 g
- Sugar
- 5.1 g
- Sodium
- 667 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Vegetarian
Vegetarian only with a vegetarian Parmigiano Reggiano: the traditional cheese is made with animal rennet.
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Tomato sauce → Brown butter and sage
The northern way: melt butter until nutty with sage leaves and toss, then Parmigiano.
Tips
- Old, floury potatoes make lighter gnocchi than new or waxy ones.
- Freeze shaped gnocchi on the tray, then bag them; cook from frozen.
History & culture
In Rome, gnocchi are a Thursday dish, 'giovedì gnocchi', a filling meal before Friday's fast. Across the north they come with butter and sage, in Sorrento they bake with mozzarella, and in Verona they have their own carnival. Making them is often the first pasta job grandmothers hand to children.
Italy made gnocchi from flour, bread or semolina long before potatoes arrived. Potato gnocchi became common in the nineteenth century, once the potato had become an everyday crop, and Pellegrino Artusi included them in his 1891 cookbook.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Gnocchi di patate al pomodoro take?
1 hr 30 min all in — 45 min prep, 45 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Frying pan, Cutting board.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Tomato sauce → Brown butter and sage. The northern way: melt butter until nutty with sage leaves and toss, then Parmigiano.
Any tips from this recipe?
Old, floury potatoes make lighter gnocchi than new or waxy ones. Freeze shaped gnocchi on the tray, then bag them; cook from frozen.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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