Marika's fried Semolina gnocchi

Marika Pedrioli is the Head Gardener at Rushall Park. Her choice for the Taste of Harmony Festival is fried semolina gnocchi with Napoli.

My family on my dad’s side is from Ticino the only Italian speaking region in Switzerland. When I lived there, I used to wake up at 6am to the buttery cheesy nutmeg smell of the semolina mix being cooked by my Aunty Noberta. This later would be served with Cottechino sausage for lunch. It was divine.

I now choose to eat a more of a plant-based diet so the Napoli sauce in this recipe pairs beautifully with these tasty gnocchi.

Recipe

Ingredients:

Gnocchi

1 litre milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

200g semolina

2 egg yolks

90g grana padano

Nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

Butter/olive oil

Napoli

Olive oil/Butter

1 onion diced

3 garlic cloves

400g tin of good quality tinned tomatoes

Salt/Pepper

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Basil to garnish

Method:

Heat 1 litre of milk in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat with the bay leaf, garlic until almost simmering. Reduce heat to low. Slowly add the semolina and whisk it into the milk as you go. Continue to cook for 10-12 minutes stirring regularly with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before stirring in the parmesan and egg yolks. Season to taste. Spoon out onto a large flat tray covered with lightly oiled baking paper. Smooth the surface. Loosely cover with cling film. Refrigerate.

For the Napoli, sauté garlic and onion in a pan with a good glug of olive oil and a generous knob of butter. Add the tinned tomatoes and gently simmer uncovered for 45mins stirring occasionally to stop it sticking to the pan. Season and add a pinch of sugar if too acidic. Remove from heat.

Take the gnocchi tray out of the refrigerator. Using a 5cm cookie cutter, cut rounds and lightly dust in semolina. Heat a heavy based fry pan over medium heat. Add enough butter/olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Cook the gnocchi for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Arrange on a large platter top with the Napoli sauce and garnish with basil.