Here is a different, summery and lighter spin on gnocchi, the pillowy potato dumplings that my father adored. I committed the dreadful sin of buying already made packaged ones for the sake of speed. While it isn’t quite the same, you can get the idea from this recipe and adapt it to made-from-scratch gnocchi. This dish hails from Sorrento where ocean, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil all come together in perfect harmony.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Ingredients

1 package gnocchi

2 cups cherry tomatoes (I used heirloom ones)

1 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cubed

2-3 tablespoons butter

a handful of fresh basil coarsely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the gnocchi according to package instructions.
2. While the gnocchi are cooking (and they cook very quickly), melt the butter in a saute’ pan until it is golden, almost brown. As the gnocchi come to the surface of the water, collect them with a slotted spoon and put them directly in the pan. Shake the pan, coating the gnocchi with the butter and keep adding gnocchi until there are no more coming to the surface. Add the cherry tomatoes and give the pan another shake. Add the mozzarella, but don’t let it melt. Place in a serving dish, add the fresh basil, salt and freshly ground pepper and bring to the table. Fast and delicious!