Gnocchi alla
Sorrentina
Sorrento-style baked potato gnocchi
Potato gnocchi bake in tomato sauce with mozzarella, basil and grated cheese, forming soft dumplings beneath a bubbling top.
Potato gnocchi, tomato, melted cheese & basilSoft gnocchi,
a bubbling Sorrento bake.
Gnocchi alla sorrentina brings potato dumplings together with tomato, mozzarella and basil, then finishes them in the oven. The cheese melts between the gnocchi and across the top, while the tomato sauce keeps the centers soft. It is associated with Sorrento and its peninsula in Campania.
This is a baked first course rather than a side dish. Homemade gnocchi are one option; the home recipe below begins with purchased fresh potato gnocchi and prepares the sauce from canned tomatoes. Draining the mozzarella and reducing the sauce before assembly helps the dish stay saucy without collecting a watery layer underneath.
Explore by food: Pasta · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make gnocchi alla sorrentina.
Start with 800 g purchased fresh potato gnocchi for four first-course portions in a roughly 25 × 20 cm baking dish. Homemade gnocchi preparation is separate.
Four first-course portions in a 25 × 20 cm baking dish, starting with purchased fresh gnocchi.
Drain mozzarella during preparation. Heat the oven and gnocchi water alongside the tomato sauce; total includes a five-minute rest after baking.
What you’ll need
- 800 gpurchased fresh potato gnocchi
- 800 gcanned cherry tomatoes with their juices
- 250 gfresh fiordilatte mozzarella, drained weight, diced
- 40 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp for the dish
- 2garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 12basil leaves, torn, divided
- 4 lwater, for boiling gnocchi
- 20 gcoarse salt, for the cooking water
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
The 15-minute mozzarella draining happens during preparation, while oven and water heating overlap the sauce. Follow the purchased gnocchi’s cooking instructions; floating alone is not a universal timing rule. The recipe includes the cherry tomatoes visible in the photo.
How to make it
- 01
Drain and heat
Spread diced mozzarella on kitchen paper for 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Heat a conventional oven to 220°C/425°F and oil the baking dish with the measured teaspoon of oil. Bring the 4 l water to a boil in a large pot.
- 02
Reduce the tomatoes
Warm the 30 ml oil and garlic in a wide pan for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and juices; crush the tomatoes lightly with a spoon. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until thick enough to coat the gnocchi, then remove garlic. Add eight torn basil leaves and season to taste.
- 03
Cook the gnocchi
Add coarse salt to the boiling water. Cook gnocchi in two batches according to the packet, lifting them out with a slotted spoon when cooked; many fresh types need about 1 minute after floating. Drain well and fold gently into the hot sauce.
- 04
Assemble and bake
Put half the gnocchi and sauce in the dish, scatter with half the mozzarella, then add remaining gnocchi and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmigiano. Bake for 15–20 minutes until bubbling throughout and the cheese is melted with golden patches.
- 05
Let it settle
Rest for 5 minutes, scatter with the remaining four basil leaves and serve hot.
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