Potato gnocchi with tomato sauce

Peel the potatoes; bring the water to the boil first, then add them.

Test with a fork; when it goes right through, lift the potatoes out.

Crush the hot potatoes through the crushing tool, or mash with a fork, which takes longer.

Bring the crushed potato together, make a well, add one egg, then add the flour.

Bring it together, collecting the excess flour and folding it back through.

Knead until nothing is sticky and the surface is smooth, sprinkling only a little extra flour, and do not overwork the dough.

Roll pieces of dough out into long ropes with both hands.

Flour a tray, cut the ropes on an angle, and lay the gnocchi on the tray.

They can be made in advance and frozen with a little flour so they do not stick.

For the sauce, heat extra virgin olive oil and add the carrot and onion.

Saute the carrot and onion only briefly, until you smell the onion, then add the tomato passata.

Add the piece of celery and a generous amount of rock salt, and stir with a wooden spoon.

Cook the sauce from half an hour up to two hours, until it reduces.

Add the basil at the end so it infuses without burning.

Bring water to the boil, add rock salt, let it dissolve, and add the gnocchi.

Stir with a wooden spoon so nothing sticks, cover and bring back to the boil.

The gnocchi are cooked as they rise; boil 2 to 3 minutes, since the potatoes were already cooked, then strain.

Ladle sauce into the bottom of the bowl, add the drained gnocchi, and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano, keeping back a little sauce for the plates.