Easy weeknight gnocchi

Recipe by Smeg chef Elke Travers

Serves 4

700ml tomato passata

500g pre-prepared gnocchi [or see recipe below]

60g baby spinach leaves

150g button mushrooms, finely sliced

250g ricotta

Parmesan cheese and basil leaves to serve

Gnocchi

1kg potatoes

2-2 1/2 cups (200-300g) plain flour

1 egg

pinch of salt

Set the oven to fan forced and preheat to 180⁰C.

Pour passata into a large baking dish and gently stir through gnocchi, spinach and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and top with tablespoons of ricotta.

Cook for 25 minutes. Serve hot topped with parmesan.

For Gnocchi

Wash the potatoes, leaving the skins on. Put them in a large pot filled with cold water, then bring them to cook over medium-high heat until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork. When ready, drain the potatoes. Peel them then pass them through a potato masher, letting them fall in the bowl of the stand mixer. Let them cool for 5 minutes.

When the potatoes are slightly cool, add half of the flour, egg and pinch of salt. Using the Smeg stand mixer hook, mix on setting 1 until the ingredients are combined.

Flour a work surface with half of the remaining flour, reserving the other half in a corner to use if needed. Put the potato dough on the work surface and roll into a large loaf, then cut into slices like you would a loaf of bread. Roll out each slice into a small looking bread stick, making sure to use a small amount of flour so it doesn’t stick to the work surface. Cut into small pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water with 1-2 tablespoons of rock salt and add the gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi float to the top;1-2 minutes. Drain.

Recipe created with the Smeg stand mixer.