How to Make Gnocchi alla Sorrentina | Authentic Baked Italian Gnocchi Recipe
It’s difficult to imagine anything better than a plate of fresh, handmade gnocchi pasta. Well, how about baked, fresh, handmade gnocchi pasta with gooey, melted cheese?
This classic “pasta al forno” comes from Sorrento, on the Amalfi coast. It’s an incredible dish that’s worth making intentionally, but it’s also a great way to use up leftover gnocchi (if such a thing exists). In this recipe we’ve included instructions on how to make a large baked dish, but you can easily adapt it to make smaller portions, even single servings, if you have some leftovers you want to use up.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make gnocchi here:
GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA RECIPE
Makes: A 2-quart baked pasta dish, serves 6
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
Salt
6-7 servings of fresh gnocchi. Follow our guide here and make gnocchi using 3 lbs. (1.36kg) of potatoes
About 6 cups (1.5L) of simple tomato sauce (double our recipe here)
4 oz. chopped mozzarella cheese
2 oz. (55g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste
Large pot
Ladle
2-quart baking dish, or similar
Large mixing bowl
Slotted spoon
Soft spatula
If your tomato sauce is cold, warm it in a saucepan. Preheat an oven to 415 degrees F (215 C).
Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Boil the gnocchi as directed. Meanwhile, spread a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish and add 1-2 large ladlefuls of sauce into a large mixing bowl.
When the gnocchi is cooked, use a slotted spoon to skim it from the water and transfer it into the mixing bowl. Ladle most of the remaining tomato sauce into the bowl, but keep some in reserve for topping. Using a soft spatula, gently mix the gnocchi and tomato sauce together.
Ladle half of the pasta into the baking dish and spread it out evenly. Top this with half of the chopped mozzarella and half of the grated Parmigiano cheese. Now add the remaining pasta into the dish.
Top the full dish with the remaining mozzarella and tomato sauce. Evenly sprinkle the rest of the Parmigiano over all. Bake the dish for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the top becomes slightly crispy. Let the dish cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Buon appetito!
Interested in trying another baked pasta classic? Give our Lasagna alla Bolognese recipe a shot! If the food of Campania intrigues you, we highly recommend Spaghetti allo Scammaro!