As a kid growing up in Anguilla, my go-to lunchtime snack was a street food dish called pizza patty, cooked by a vendor named Papa Lash. It was basically fried dough filled with cheese and tomato sauce – mouth-burningly hot and absolutely delicious. This childhood memory was the inspiration for my own version: a gnocchi dough stuffed with a selection of cheeses and served on a rich tomato sauce with herbs and a crumble of feta.
It might seem that there’s a lot going on in this recipe but I promise you it’s worth the effort. And if you can resist eating it on the spot, everything freezes well and can be cooked from frozen, so you could make a batch on a lazy day then pop it into the freezer – an incredible ready to go treat.
Cheese-stuffed gnocchi with tomato sauce
Prep and cook 3hr
Makes 30 pieces (up to 10 servings)
For the gnocchi dough
375g potatoes (go for a fluffy variety such as maris piper)
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp Belazu Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
150g plain flour
25g parsley, chopped
65g parmesan, finely grated
For the tomato sauce
400g tin of tomatoes
100ml white wine
50g shallots, chopped
2 1⁄2 tsp sugar
15g tomato puree
1 tsp sea salt
1 large clove garlic
2 tbsp Belazu Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the cheese filling
160g mozzarella, grated
60g scamorza cheese (or smoked cheese), grated
50g Philadelphia cheese
1 jar Belazu Ezme Mezze paste
50g feta, crumbled
25g basil, chopped
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
To cook
750ml sunflower or vegetable oil
To serve
Chive oil (15g chives, 1⁄4 tsp salt and 100ml olive oil) or use chopped chives instead
Fresh baby watercress or chervil
1 tbsp feta, crumbled
The first thing to do is to make the gnocchi dough. Prick the potatoes and boil them whole, skins on, in salted water for about 25 minutes. When they’re cooked, drain well and leave to cool slightly. Peel and mash – the result doesn’t need to be super-smooth.
Mix in the egg and olive oil, then add the flour, parsley and parmesan. Knead the mash mix to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes or so while you make the tomato sauce and the cheese filling.
For the tomato sauce, put all the ingredients except for the oil into a blender and blitz until smooth. Warm the oil in a saucepan and add the tomato mix. Bring to the boil then simmer without a lid until the sauce thickens. This could take at least 30 minutes. Stir frequently so it doesn’t burn. Towards the end of cooking, taste the sauce and adjust the salt and sugar. You want a nice hint of sweetness. Remove from the heat, but be ready to warm it up to serve.
Making the cheese filling is a breeze – tip all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together until they’re evenly combined. That’s it.
Now you’re ready to stuff your gnocchi dough. Divide it into three pieces to make it easier to work with. On a floured surface, roll out the first piece to the thickness of a 2p piece (about 2mm). Using a large fluted pastry cutter (9cm diameter) cut out discs of dough. If you don’t have a cutter, a pint glass or mug works just as well.
Spoon one tablespoon of the cheese filling on to each disc, lightly brush the edges with water, then fold the dough over to encase the filling, creating a half circle. Seal the edges and put the finished parcels to one side while you get on with the rest.
Belazu Ezme Mezze brings a rich tang to bruschetta, antipasti platters, dressings and sauces
To cook, heat the vegetable or sunflower oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan to 170C (the temperature is right when a sprinkle of flour sizzles on top). Cook the gnocchi in batches so they don’t stick together. Very carefully slip the parcels into the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden. The gnocchi will start to float as they cook. Remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. While you are doing this, have the tomato sauce heating so it’s ready to go.
If you’re topping with chive oil, simply blend and sieve the chives, salt and olive oil, then bottle or store in a jar for later.
To serve, spread a generous helping of tomato sauce on to a small plate, add three or four gnocchi and finish with crumbled feta, fresh herbs and a drizzle of the chive oil. Serve immediately.
Tips for freezing: lay the uncooked stuffed gnocchi on a tray and freeze before bagging into portions. To cook from frozen, deep fry at 150C for 7-8 minutes until browned, then pop into the oven at 180C (160C fan)/gas 4 for six minutes. Freeze the tomato sauce in portions, which you can then defrost and heat up.
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