Ingredients
- 800g ready-made gnocchi
- 600g tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)
- 6 basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, whole
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 250g mozzarella
- 70g parmesan, freshly grated
- salt
Directions
Step 1
Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Gently fry the whole garlic clove until it releases its aroma. Add the tomato passata, season with salt, then add the chopped basil and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the tomato sauce and transfer the sauce to a deep bowl. Leave some of the tomato sauce aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, bring plenty of water to a boil in a large saucepan, wait until it boils and add some salt. Turn down the heat. Add the gnocchi to the salted simmering water in at least 2-3 batches; they only need to cook in the simmering water for a few moments (be mindful that boiling water can damage them). Take them with a slotted spoon and drain them carefully as soon as they rise to the surface of the water.
Step 3
Add half of the cooked gnocchi to the bowl with the tomato sauce and mix gently with a spoon.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 250C. Take a baking dish and pour the remaining tomato sauce on the bottom. Add some olive oil and then carefully pour in half of the gnocchi. Add a layer of diced mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan. Then repeat the process with the remaining gnocchi, another layer of mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan. Bake the gnocchi for 5 minutes on the grill setting.
