Gnocchi con pomodoro (Gnocchi in tomato sauce) (Italian)

Comforting soft gnocchi in the go-to Italian pasta sauce. Not as simple to make as regular pasta, but taking the extra time to make the gnocchi and the sauce from scratch is undoubtedly rewarding when you start digging in them. :) 
Recipe source(s): here and here.

Last year: nothing
Two years ago: nothing
Three years ago: nothing
Four years ago: Risengrød / Risgrynsgröt (Danish and Swedish rice pudding).
Five years ago: Dates filled with mascarpone and almonds (raw).
Six years ago: The Easterner (cocktail).
Seven years ago: Breakfast braided bread with cheese and ham filling.
Eight years ago: Avocado halves stuffed with salty cheese and tomatoes and Mexican nachos with four mixed dips (salsa, guacamole, garlic sauce, cheese fondue).





Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1 medium potato (about 200 g)
• 5-6 tablespoons semolina flour
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter to toss

For the pomodoro sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large tomato or 2 medium ones
• 150 g chopped peeled tomatoes in tomato juice
• 1/3 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 
• salt and pepper to taste, plus extra pepper to serve, if you want

Boil the potato, peel it and mash it up with a fork. Mix it with the flour, the egg and a dash of salt and pepper, then shape gnocchi out of the resulting mass (detailed instructions on shaping in my previous post here) and drop them in salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes or until they flow to the surface.

Take them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl. Continue with the next gnocchi (it's best if you don't overcrowd the pot to avoid sticking) until you're done. Toss them with some butter so they remain separate.

To make the sauce, chop the tomato(es) and drop them in a pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer them for 5-6 minutes or until they all reach a sauce-like consistency. Add the gnocchi and turn off the heat:

Mix well. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes to cool down and to allow the flavors to meld. Divide between serving bowls, top with some extra ground pepper and dig in! :)