Ingredients:
For the gnocchi:1 kg potatoes
1 ¾ cups of flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tbs olive oil for pan-frying
For the sauce:
½ tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
½ tsp chilli (or to taste)
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
500g bacon, cut into strips
2 cans crushed tomatoes
¼ cup vodka (the alcohol will cook off but it brings out flavours in the tomatoes that would not otherwise be released)
A good squirt of tomato sauce
1 cup of cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese
Method
01 | Boil the potatoes until tender, drain then mash until there are virtually no lumps (you can use a food processor for this if you like).02 | When the mashed potato has cooled, tip it out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead in the flour and the salt.
03 | When combined, make a well in the middle of the dough and pour in the egg. Knead until forms a light sticky dough, but try not to overwork it.
04 | Cut the dough in half and roll each half into a tubular shape about 2cm high and 3 cm wide. Cut the tube into pieces of about 2cm and place on a tray ready for cooking.
05 | Bring a large pot of water to the boil. When the water is gently boiling drop in the gnocchi, about a dozen at a time. When they are ready (this will happen very quickly) they will float to the surface. Take them out immediately with a slotted spoon. Once cooked they can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for a later date.
06 | Now make your sauce: add the oil to a large pan and brown the onions and garlic with the chilli and herbs for approximately 5 minutes.
07 | Add the bacon and cook until evenly browned.
08 | Add the tomatoes, vodka and tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes before adding the cream and simmering for a few more minutes.
09 | Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
10 | Add the olive oil to a clean pan and lightly fry the gnocchi in batches until lightly coloured.
11 | Distribute the gnocchi between 6 plates. Add a good ladle of the sauce, a sprinkling of cheese and pour yourself a glass of wine for your efforts!
– Maeve Jones