Gnocchi with Grated Tomatoes and Burrata
Making gnocchi in large quantities can be a faff, but I think it’s a really lovely thing to make for two. I dress it really simply in sharp grated tomato, lots of olive oil and burrata to make a fresh summery version here, and it is probably the sexiest thing you could make for a date between the months of May and September.
Serves 2
2 large baking potatoes (about 400g)
50g plain flour
20g parmesan
2 large beef tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp sherry vinegar
20g butter
1 ball of burrata
a few fresh basil leaves
salt, pepper and olive oil
Heat your oven to 180°C.
Prick your potatoes all over with a fork, and rub them with a drizzle of olive oil. Pop them on a baking tray, and cook them for 1 hour.
Whilst your potatoes are still hot, cut them in half and scoop out their middles. Place a sieve over a bowl and push your potato flesh through it.
Add your flour and grate in your parmesan, then give your dough a really good mix. Briefly knead it so it is smooth, then cut it in half, and roll half out into a long sausage shape about 1 inch thick. Cut your sausage into 1 inch big pieces, then repeat with your remaining dough.
Bring a large pan of salted water up to a boil, and carefully add in your gnocchi. Cook them for about a minute and a half, or until they rise to the top of the water. Lift them out gently with a slotted spoon, and leave them to dry out slightly on a plate lined with baking parchment.
Meanwhile, grate your tomatoes into a sieve set over a bowl. Add a good pinch of salt, and let any excess water drain out of them for 5 minutes.
Discard the tomato liquid, and add your grated tomato to the bowl. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil, then add your sherry vinegar and grate in your garlic clove. Season it to taste with salt.
Heat a non stick frying pan over a medium high heat, and add your butter. Tip in your gnocchi, and fry them for a couple of minutes on each side, until they are golden and crisp.
Pour your gnocchi into your tomato bowl, and gently toss them around in there to mix it all together, without breaking the gnocchi.
Spoon your gnocchi into bowls, then tear over some burrata. Scatter over your basil leaves, then finish it off with a little olive oil and crack of black pepper. Serve it up.