Italian heaven: Fratelli Fresh’s spring gnocchi

Recipe by Gabor Denes, Fratelli Fresh

Gnocchi with spicy nduja sauce and stracciatella

For the gnocchi:

500g Dutch Cream potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes

200g plain flour

1 free range egg

Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:

100g nduja salami

400g tomato passata

1 medium brown onion, finely diced

75ml olive oil

1 bunch of basil

For the garnish

250g stracciatella cheese, broken into small pieces

Cracked black pepper

25ml extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook potatoes for 20-30 minutes until they are cooked through (test with a sharp knife, or skewer). Drain potatoes and rest for a few minutes until excess water drains off.

Press potatoes through a potato press, or mash, then place in fridge to cool down. (This prevents the dough from becoming gluey).

Heat saucepan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced onion to the pan and cook until translucent.

Add nduja to saucepan and use a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir until nduja completely melts.

Add passata to saucepan, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened a little.

Pick small leaves from basil and reserve for garnish. Chiffonade, or thinly slice, larger leaves and add to sauce.

While waiting for sauce to thicken, remove mashed potatoes from fridge and season with salt and pepper. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Slowly add flour, continuing to mix until dough is soft and combined.

Sprinkle some flour on working bench. Place dough on bench and divide into four portions. Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a log about 2cm wide, then cut into 2cm pieces.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, then carefully drop the gnocchi into the water. Shake the pot gently so they don’t stick.

When gnocchi float to the surface of the water, remove them from the pan and add to the sauce. Toss to combine, then share between four bowls.

Garnish with stracciatella, black cracked pepper and small basil leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.