Recipe :: Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Last summer we spent five amazing days in the gorgeous Amalfi Coast.  The days were hot, and our evenings, a respite from the heat, were spent eating fresh seafood and pasta and drinking red wine al fresco with a view of the Mediterranean.  One of my favorite dishes was Gnocchi alla Sorrentina which I must have eaten at least 3 times while we were there.  It was fresh, simple, and reflected everything I love about Italian Cuisine.

I know I have mentioned it here before, but in September my boyfriend and I will be returning to Italy, but this time to the Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Venice, and Florence.  We just purchased our airfare last week {hooray!} so to celebrate our upcoming holiday I decided to surprise him with a homemade Italian dinner for two.  I found a recipe for Gnocchi alla Sorrentina here and it could have not been more simple!  Our meal was accompanied with Italian wine and opera...la dolce vita!

Recipe below, PS - follow Dreams in HD on bloglovin' here!

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Cherry tomatoes - 1 lb
Extra virgin olive oil - 5 tbsp {I used about half of this}
Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced
Basil leaves - 1 cup, packed
Coarse sea salt - to taste
Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Gnocchi - 1 lb
Butter - 2 tbsp
Baby mozzarella - 8-10 balls
Grated parmesan - for serving

DIRECTIONS
Remove stem ends from tomatoes and chop them into 1/4-inch cubes, reserving all juices.

In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until light brown. Add tomatoes and juices and cook 2 minutes. Add chopped basil, season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.

In another sauce pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the gnocchi and put shake the pan to make one even layer. Season with salt and pepper and let them cook until caramelized. Toss them until golden brown on all sides.

To finish add the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Carefully toss on medium heat.  Add mozzarella and then pour onto a large platter. Serve with a chopped basil leaves.

Looking for more delicious bites?  Superfood Salad // Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad // Goat Cheese Roasted Chicken // Summer Corn Salad // Spring Vegetable Risotto with Poached Eggs // Chocolate Pot de Creme // The BEST Apple Pie, Ever

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