Homemade Gnocchi is a must-try and worth the efforts. Gnocchi absorbs this rich Italian bolognese to create the perfect Winter comfort dish.
15ml (1 Tbsp) olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, grated
1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
30ml (2 Tbsp) paprika
30ml (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
1kg Ground Beef from our Butchery
3 cans chopped tomatoes
30ml (2 Tbsp) soy sauce
2 punnets cherry tomatoes
3 sprigs rosemary
150g mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Coarse salt, enough to cover the base of your baking tray
6 medium-large potatoes
3 large eggs
420g (3 cups) cake flour, plus extra for rolling
Salt, to taste
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, chilli, paprika and tomato paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the meat is cooked.
Add the chopped tomatoes, soy sauce and cherry tomatoes.
Simmer for about 1 hour. Season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
Place the coarse salt into a baking dish to fill about 1cm. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and place the potatoes (skin on) on top the salt and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly so you can handle them. Remove the skin and pass through a sieve to produce a smooth mash.
Combine the mash with the eggs and flour. Season to taste.
Flour the surface with the extra flour. Take a portion of the gnocchi mixture and roll into a long thin sausage of about 2cm in thickness. Cut into 3cm sections. Take a fork and cover with flour. Make an indentation on top of each piece of gnocchi.
Bring a large pot with salted water to the boil and cook the gnocchi in batches for about 3-4 minutes, or until they float on top of the water.
Combine the cooked gnocchi and bolognese sauce. Place on a baking dish with mozzarella scattered on top. Bake for about 8-20 minutes and serve.
If you do not have time or do not want to make your own homemade gnocchi, we have a delicious Italian Gnocchi range in our stores.
