Potato gnocchi:

 

Peel and cook the potatoes, making sure they only cook until just soft. Overcooked potatoes will not have the right consistency. Push the hot potatoes through a ricer twice. Turn out the potatoes onto a floured work surface. Make a well in the middle, add in the beaten eggs and some of the flour. Mix with your hands, adding more flour as needed. Try to need as little as possible, overworking the dough will make the gnocchi heavy. Your dough should hold together well and shouldn't feel sticky. 

 

Divide the dough into 4 portions, rolling a sausage from each portion. Cut equally sized gnocchi from each dough sausage. To shape the gnocchi, roll on a floured surface and press into a gnocchi board.  

 

Bring water to the boil, and add the gnocchi. They will only take a few minutes to cook. Once done, they will float to the surface. 

 

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Tomato sauce:

 

Roughly chop tomatoes, peppers, garlic and shallot. Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a lidded pan, add the chopped vegetables and herbs and simmer on a low heat for 45mins. Transfer the sauce to a blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside. 

 

Scoop the tomato sauce over the gnocchi and finish with a sprinkle of fresh basil. 

 

 

Tip: this recipe is simple and basic, so you can easily add your own touch by adding extra veg, meat or fish!