Basil gnocchi with simple tomato sauce and wild rocket (Arugula, rocket salad, garden rocket)

[Guest guest]

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Home-made gnocchi are truly delicious and much easier to prepare than you

might imagine. Shop-bought, vacuum-packed ones are fine to serve with a simple

sauce like this if you're short of time, but they won't match up in terms of

flavour or texture.

 

Ingredients

400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 sprig rosemary or thyme, or a couple of bay leaves

pinch of crushed chillies (optional)

60g/2¼oz packet wild rocket or salad rocket

 

For the gnocchi

500g/1lb 2oz waxy potatoes such as red skins or new potatoes, peeled and diced

15g/½oz fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

200g/7oz plain flour

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

1. Begin by making the sauce. Place the tomatoes in a small pan, then half fill

the can with water and add that to the pan. Stir in the shallot, garlic, herbs,

chillies and salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for at

least an hour until thickened and dark red.

2. Meanwhile, to make the gnocchi, boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until

tender then drain.

3. Mash them well - this bit is important because lumps will be noticeable in

the gnocchi, so use a potato ricer if you have one, or mash the potatoes

thoroughly to as smooth a texture as possible.

4. Sprinkle over the basil, plenty of salt and black pepper and the flour. Using

a wooden spoon or your hands, bring together to make a firm dough.

5. Knead the dough gently for a couple of minutes then roll out into sausages

about 1cm (0.5in) thick. Cut the sausages into pieces 2.5cm(1in) long.

6. Gently cook the gnocchi in a pan of simmering water for a minute or two until

they rise to the surface. Scoop them out as they rise, toss with the tomato

sauce and rocket leaves and serve.

Variation

Rocket is a member of teh ustard family, so maybe mustard leaves could be

substituted. Or even mustard seeds. his I haven't tried but is an idea in teh

back of my mind