Pillowy light gnocchi tossed in a fresh tomato sauce made from ripe tomatoes, oregano and garlic. Simple, authentic and full of flavour.
This gnocchi with tomato sauce is exceptionally straightforward yet delicious. Blanching and peeling fresh tomatoes takes a little effort but it’s worth it — the depth and brightness of ripe tomatoes can’t be matched by most canned alternatives.
Fresh tomatoes give the sauce a natural sweetness and brightness without the sharp acidity you sometimes find in cheaper canned tomatoes, so the sauce needs only a short simmer to come together.
To blanch the tomatoes, cut a small ‘X’ in the base of each fruit and drop them into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Transfer the tomatoes immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then peel off the skins. Remove the green stem from the top and roughly quarter the tomatoes.
Add the tomato quarters to a food processor and blitz to a fine pulp. For the smoothest sauce and to remove any bitter seeds, pass the pulp through a fine sieve. This yields a silky tomato juice that’s ideal for a light sauce.
To make the sauce, warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and gently fry one clove of finely chopped garlic with a tablespoon of dried oregano for a few seconds — do not let the garlic brown. Add the sieved tomato pulp and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, until reduced by roughly half and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning; if your tomatoes are perfectly ripe you likely won’t need any sugar, but a small pinch can balance any remaining acidity if necessary.
Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water. Homemade gnocchi are wonderful, but good-quality store-bought gnocchi work well when you’re short on time. When the gnocchi float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and add directly to the tomato sauce. Toss gently to coat and warm through.
For more gnocchi recipes try;
- Gnocchi with walnut and chili pesto
- Gnocchi with tomato and ‘Nduja
- Fried gnocchi with prosciutto and pecorino (appetizers)
If you make this gnocchi with fresh tomato sauce recipe, please leave a comment — feedback is always appreciated.
Gnocchi with Fresh Tomato Sauce
By Emily
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs (500g) gnocchi
- 2.2 lbs (1kg) fresh ripe tomatoes
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Parmesan for grating
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow ‘X’ into the bottom of each tomato and blanch them in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water.
- Once cooled, peel the tomatoes; the skins should come away easily. Remove the green stalks and roughly chop the tomatoes into quarters. Blitz in a food processor to a fine pulp, then pass through a sieve to remove seeds and any coarse pulp. Set aside the strained tomato juice.
- Bring another pot of salted water to a boil for the gnocchi. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add the chopped garlic and oregano. Fry briefly without browning the garlic, then add the sieved tomato pulp with a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for around 10 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning; add a pinch of sugar only if needed.
- When the sauce is nearly ready, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water. As soon as they float, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and add them to the sauce. Toss gently to combine and serve in bowls with freshly grated Parmesan.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- Extra virgin olive oil is used unless otherwise stated.
- All vegetables are medium-sized unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven where applicable.
Nutrition
Calories: 324 kcal (approximate)
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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