5-6fresh tomatoes , or 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes [SEE NOTE 1]
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1Pinchred pepper flakes
16ounce potato gnocchi, package
½cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Bring a small pan of water to a boil on the stove top.
To prepare the sauce: start by removing the stem end and cutting off any blemishes. Mark the bottom of the tomatoes with an "x" with a pairing knife. This will help peel the skins away after boiling.
Add the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Then I remove them and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water. The skins will begin to peel away from the "x" we created earlier.
When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove them from the ice water and slide off the skins. At this point, you can choose to seed the tomatoes or leave the seeds in, I usually don't worry about the seeds.
Now I purée the tomatoes in my food processor. I like mine all the way ground but you can leave it chunkier if you prefer and just crush them with your hands.
In a 10-inch high sided sauté pan heat 1/4 cup of Olive Oil. Add the parsley, oregano, rosemary and 2 stems of basil and cook for about 5 minutes or until the herbs become crisp. Remove the herbs and discard then add the onion and garlic to the oil, lowering the heat if needed so the onions cook gently and don't brown. Cook until the onions are transparent about 2 to3 minutes, then add the tomato puree and cook another 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the saucepan of water back to a boil and add the gnocchi. Season generously with kosher salt and cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the boiling water. Drain and then place the gnocchi into the cooked sauce.
Top with the grated Parmesan cheese then drizzle the tops of the gnocchi with the remaining olive oil. Garnish with additional basil or parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
1). Skip steps 2-5 if using canned whole tomatoes.