Valentines Day Tomato and Basil Gnocchi

Ingredients

425g potatoes

250g plain flour

1 egg

1 onion

1 garlic clove

800g chopped tomatoes

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Basil leaves

Salt and black pepper

Grated Parmesan

1. Place a large pan of water (enough to completely cover your potatoes) on the hob and bring to the boil. Add your potatoes (still in their skins) to the pan and cook for roughly 15 minutes, until they are tender, but firm.

2. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool before peeling and removing any brown bits. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork.

2. Measure 250g mashed potatoes and place into a bowl and add 250g plain flour and an egg before kneading the mixture until a ball of dough is formed. Do not use too much flour because this will result in gnocchi that is too hard. Perfect dough won’t be gooey or dense.

3. To make the gnocchi shapes, divide the dough into four portions and form a snake-like shape with each one, roughly 1.5cm in diameter. Cut each snake into 1.5cm pieces. Press the top of each piece lightly with a fork, to make a pattern. Set the gnocchi aside and keep dry until you are ready to cook.

4. To make the sauce, heat 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. Dice your onion into small pieces and add to the pan. To chop your clove of garlic, peel away the skin, crush with the flat side of a knife and then chop the garlic horizontally and then vertically until it is in small pieces. Add to the pan with the onion and cook until the contents of the pan soften.

5. Stir in the tomatoes, the sugar and the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer before cooking slowly for 45 minutes to one hour. Stir a few basil leaves into the sauce.

6. When the sauce is ready, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Drop the gnocchi in and cook for three to five minutes, or until the gnocchi has risen to the top. Once the gnocchi is ready, drain and add to the pan of sauce. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce and serve immediately, seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.