Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Sugo

Place the tomatoes in a large pot of boiling water, cook for 2 minutes, then drain. Pinch the skin, remove the green/brown bit at the bottom of the tomatoes, place the tomatoes in a large bowl, and break them up to your desired consistency. The longer you keep it the more texture you’ll get. If you like a smoother texture, place them into a food processor and whiz until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add shallot and garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes until the shallot is translucent and golden. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes, followed by the wine and cook out the alcohol for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, add the piece of capsicum and the whole celery stick, add 4-5 basil leaves, turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook gently for 20 minutes. If the sauce reduces too much add a little water.

At the end of the cooking time, discard the capsicum, the wilted basil, and the celery. The garlic will have gone soft, so mash it up with a fork into the sauce for extra flavour, and discard the skin. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

Discard any excess liquid from the ricotta and put it in a large mixing bowl with the egg yolks, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add the flour and work with floured hands or a wooden spoon until you have smooth soft dough – it should be pliable and a little sticky but not too wet. Don’t be tempted to add lots of flour to make it easier to work the dough, as the resulting gnocchi will almost certainly be dense and doughy. 

Flour your hands and cooking bench generously and divide the dough into 6 pieces. Take 1 piece, sprinkle it with flour, and roll it with your hands to form a log. Cut the log into small rectangles and set aside on a floured wooden board. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and drop the gnocchi into the pan, in two or three batches, stirring gently. Cook for 1–2 minutes or until they come up to the surface, lift them out with a slotted spoon and drop them straight into the pan with the tomato sauce. Repeat until all the gnocchi is cooked. Coat them well in the sauce. Serve hot with basil leaves, freshly grated Parmigiano, and a drizzle of chilli oil, if you like.