Ricotta and spinach gnocchi with tomato and basil

For the gnocchi:
• 200g English spinach
• 350g ricotta
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 125g parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 60g plain flour
• 100g salted butter
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 whole fresh chillies
• 4 medium bocconcini, cut into strips
• 6-7 sundried tomatoes, cut into strips

For the sauce:
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 300g peeled tomatoes, drained
• 10 basil leaves
• 1 chilli, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp sundried tomato paste

1. First make the sauce: heat around 20 ml of olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the onion.
2. Add the peeled tomatoes, basil leaves, chilli and sundried tomato paste. Simmer for 30 minutes on a low flame.
3. To make the gnocchi, lightly sauté the spinach
with the butter, chilli and garlic. Set aside to cool.
4. Remove the garlic and chilli from the spinach.
5. Finely chop the spinach and combine with the ricotta, parmesan, flour and nutmeg. Add the eggs and egg whites. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and mix again.
6. Dust the bench and your hands with flour.
7. Remove a spoonful of the mixture and shape into a long roll around 2 cm thick.
8. Cut along the roll every 3 cm to form the gnocchi. Continue with the remaining mix. Sprinkle the bench with flour between batches to prevent the mixture from sticking.
9. Bring around 6 litres of salted water to the boil in a large pot.
10. Drop 12 gnocchi at a time into the boiling water. When the gnocchi rise to the surface they are cooked. Scoop the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon.
11. Add the gnocchi to the pan of simmering sauce and cook for a few minutes. Continue cooking the gnocchi in batches and add to the sauce.
12. Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with the bocconcini and sundried tomato strips.