Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Dine with me at Ristorante da Ciccio on my food & wine tour to Southern Italy & Rome!
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

This deliciously simple dish is so easy even a child can make it (see video below). It’s named for the town of Sorrento on Italy’s Amalfi coast and I first ate it at Ristorante Da Ciccio. This family-run restaurant is perched on a cliff edge just north of Amalfi, and the tomatoes used are grown on the terraces of the family farm in Scala, a village high above the coast. The tomato juice and olive oil form an emulsion which gives the gnocchi alla Sorrentina sauce a lovely creamy consistency. Buffalo mozzarella is traditionally torn into shreds rather than being cut, but if I’m using the small buffalo bocconcini from Vannella Cheese I just quarter them. Since we’re in the Italian region of Campania, I’m reaching for a glass of the local varietal fiano, which is now being made so well in Australia. Coriole in McLaren Vale started it all in 2005, and still produce one of my favourites, the Rubato Reserve, which many say is the best fiano outside Italy. Ideally make your own gnocchi – it’s really easy and fun.

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (80ml)
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • 450g potato gnocchi (1lb)
  • 125g baby Roma tomatoes, quartered (4½oz)
  • 125g yellow grape tomatoes, halved (4½oz)
  • ¼ cup shredded basil leaves (small handful)
  • 100g buffalo mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces (3½oz)
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (20g/¾oz)
Method
  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, using 10g salt/litre water (⅓oz salt/2 pints water).
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 5–10 minutes until soft but not coloured.
  3. Add gnocchi to the water and boil until they start to float to the top.
  4. Meanwhile, add tomatoes to the frying pan and continue cooking, stirring occasionally to break them up just a little.
  5. When the gnocchi start to float, scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon and add them to the frying pan, stirring gently.
  6. When all the gnocchi are in the frying pan, stir in the basil, mozzarella and parmesan and serve.
Download a Print Friendly Version

Share page on:

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

See more Recipe Videos

What Other Travellers Say

Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Relaxed, organised and well-paced – a wonderful bespoke small group tour, starting in Rome, then travelling down the Amalfi Coast to stay at a family estate where we were treated like old friends. This tour included some hidden gems too, notably on our way to Matera, a fascinating town built into the side of a mountain. We finished with Naples and Pompeii – with plenty of wine and more new tastes. Roberta is a specialist and very personable as she hosts and explains every detail of the food and wine experience.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I’ve been on three of Roberta’s food and wine tours so far and each one has been an amazing well-organised experience. From historic Rome and Pompeii to the spectacular Amalfi Coast, remarkable Venice and the charming villages of Switzerland, each tour offers something special. Then there’s the food in fabulous places where you can truly eat like a local. I highly recommend Roberta’s tours to anyone who wants to discover inspired travel through great food, wine and company. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Starting in Rome then spending time on the Amalfi Coast and further south before heading back to Rome for the last couple of days made for a nice ‘round trip’. Roberta’s choice of eateries was excellent with some very enjoyable meals – and a nice mix of other activities, like vineyard visits, between meals. Everything was very well organised: transport, nice hotels in close proximity to most activities, and a relaxed pace with enough time to follow your nose if that took your fancy. A very worthwhile tour and I’m already looking forward to another!
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
I absolutely recommend Roberta’s Southern Italy tour! We’ve always been independent travellers so were a little apprehensive – by day 2 we knew we’d made a great decision! Roberta knows people and places far from the tourist trail so we visited wineries where we were always invited for lunch as well as wine-tasting, a family lemon grove high on the Amalfi Coast and a 3rd generation cheesemaker. We stayed in a stunning cave hotel in Matera and a gorgeous family hotel in Scala – and book-ended the tour with the vibrancy of Rome. So many highlights, such a brilliant experience. We will do another tour with Roberta.
Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)