Gnocchi de papa

Julieta Oriolo, chef-patron of La Alacena, eats gnocchi with her family on the 29th of every month — a custom introduced by Italian immigrants as a cheap, filling supper before payday.

SERVES: 5

TAKES: 1HR 30MINS

INGREDIENTS

1.8kg potatoes, scrubbed 450g plain flour, plus extra

for dusting 1 egg 80g parmesan, finely grated,

plus extra to serve 3 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1kg tinned tomatoes 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely

chopped handful of basil leaves 1 red chilli, finely chopped 2 tbsp nduja

METHOD

Boil the potatoes until tender, then peel before they cool and pass through a potato ricer. On a surface dusted with flour, combine the potato with the egg, parmesan and a pinch of salt, adding the flour a little at a time.

Split the dough into orangesized balls, then roll out into long sausages 2cm in diameter. Cut each one into thumbnailsized pieces and set aside.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat, then add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, sugar, sage, thyme, rosemary and a pinch of salt, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 mins. Remove from the heat and add the basil and chilli.

Set a frying pan over a high heat, tip in the nduja and let it ‘melt’ for few seconds, then stir into the sauce.

Return the sauce to the heat. Add the gnocchi once simmering, then cover and steam for around 3 mins and serve with parmesan.