Recreate Top Recipes from Cipriani at Home
Whip up a few of Cipriani's most renowned restaurant dishes from the comfort of your kitchen
Written by Lauren Watzich
GNOCCHI DI PATATE AL POMODORO E BASILICO (POTATO GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE):
Serves 4 as a main course
2 pounds mealy baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cups flour
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra to pass at the table
1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper
6 large egg yolks
Tomato sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Preparation: Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover them by 2 inches with cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are tender but not falling apart. Drain the potatoes well in a colander. Return them to the saucepan and shake them over moderate heat, uncovered, for a few seconds, until they are dry. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pass them through a food mill or ricer.
Put the pureed potatoes in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of the flour, 1/4 cup of the grated cheese, about a teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix with your fingertips until well combined. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the egg yolks. Work the yolks into the mixture to form a soft and slightly sticky dough. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Put the remaining cup of flour in a pile on the work surface. Gather some of the potato dough into a lemon-size ball and dip it on all sides into the pile of flour. Knead it a bit to incorporate the flour and form the dough into a long, thin cylinder about the thickness of a finger. Cut the cylinder into a 1/2-inch pieces. Repeat until all the dough is used. As you work, put the gnocchi on a baking sheet, sprinkle them lightly with flour, and toss gently to coat them evenly.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the tomato and basil sauce in a pan large enough to hold the gnocchi and keep it warm over low heat.
Salt the water and drop in the gnocchi about 20 at a time. Simmer until they float to the top. Let them cook for about 3 minutes on the surface of the water. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and add them to the tomato sauce as they are done. Add the softened butter to the sauce and stir gently to combine everything thoroughly. Carefully stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and spoon the gnocchi into a heated serving dish. Pass a bowl of Parmesan cheese at the table.
