My first attempt at making gnocchi at home, although I did buy it fresh from the shops! It’s fast becoming one of my favourite things to order in an Italian purely for my love of potatoes of all varieties!

This maybe isn’t a recipe if you’re on a diet so look away now….

Serves 4

Ingredients 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 stems of parsley
• 4 stems of oregano
• 2 stems of rosemary
• 2 stems of fresh basil
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional – I don’t think you really need it)
• 1 packet of potato gnocchi
• 8-10 small mozzarella balls, cut in half
• 1/2 cup parmesan

Method

1. Add the olive oil to a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the parsley oregano, basil, and rosemary and cook for 5 minutes until the herbs become crisp. Once this happens, remove and discard the herbs. Add the onion and garlic to the now infused oil and cook gently until the onions are transparent, you can reduce the heat if need be.
2. Add the tomatoes to the pan with some salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. If you want to use the cream, take this off the heat after 40 minutes and slowly add.
3. Meanwhile bring water to the boil and add the gnocchi, season with salt and cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the water.
4. Place the gnocchi into the sauce and top with the mozzarella balls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place under the grill for 5-8 minutes allowing the cheese to melt and become crispy.

Enjoy!