Today a recipe for a first course: spreadable cheese gnocchi Sorrentina-style.
Gnocchi alla sorrentina are a typical first course from Campania, particularly from the Sorrento area. They are gnocchi dressed first with tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan and then baked in the oven in a small dish so that a delightful crust forms on the surface.
Gnocchi alla sorrentina are made with simple ingredients and this is a very easy recipe to make that guarantees success. The original recipe calls for potato gnocchi, but this time we will prepare them using spreadable cheese (Philadelphia) and dress them with tomato sauce and mozzarella.
In the oven the mozzarella will become stringy, the sauce will become creamy and a fantastic crust will form on top. These spreadable cheese gnocchi Sorrentina-style are perfect for Sunday lunch or a holiday, just like lasagna, baked pasta or a creamy carbonara.
Let’s see, step by step, how to make this recipe.
To receive the recipe of the day for free
You can also make gnocchi alla sorrentina using other types of gnocchi
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for spreadable cheese gnocchi Sorrentina-style
- 18 oz spreadable cheese (Philadelphia)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 24 oz tomato passata
- 3.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion
- 10.5 oz mozzarella (drained)
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan
- 6 leaves basil
Tools
- 1 Scale
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Bowl
- 4 Small baking dishes
Let’s make the gnocchi together!
On a work surface mound the flour and place the spreadable cheese, the egg yolks, the Parmesan and the salt in the center. Start by mixing the cheese with the eggs and then gradually incorporate the surrounding flour. Let the gnocchi dough rest for about half an hour; then take a small piece of dough, roll it into a sausage shape and cut pieces that will be the gnocchi. You can find the detailed gnocchi recipe by clicking the purple link.
In a pan or saucepan put the tomato passata, the olive oil, the coarsely chopped onion and the basil leaves. Add salt and turn on the heat, let the tomato sauce simmer over medium heat until it reduces. Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into cubes.
While the tomato sauce cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the gnocchi; when it boils, drop the spreadable cheese gnocchi (shaking off any excess flour) and let them cook for four to five minutes and until they come to the surface.
When the gnocchi are cooked, put some of the tomato sauce in a bowl (remember to leave a little for the base of the dishes), then add the well-drained gnocchi and half of the grated Parmesan, then mix to dress the gnocchi.
Take the small baking dishes and put a little tomato sauce, then pour some gnocchi to make a first layer, add some mozzarella cubes and cover with more gnocchi. Add more mozzarella cubes and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan. Prepare the other dishes the same way.
Bake in a preheated oven at a temperature of 428/482°F for 5/10 minutes (in the last minutes use the broiler/grill function) until a nice crust forms and the mozzarella inside becomes stringy. Serve your spreadable cheese gnocchi Sorrentina-style piping hot. But before you finish, take a photo of your plate and post it on social media tagging me (Una Riccia Che Pasticcia Instagram and Facebook) and show me how stringy your gnocchi are.
Una Riccia recommends
I prepared four individual dishes, but you can easily prepare a single casserole to portion afterwards. For a stronger flavor you can add pecorino to the Parmesan.
