main-meals

Baked Tomato Gnocchi

April 21

Gnocchi are small pillow-like dumplings made from potato, semolina, or flour, usually served with a sauce. I love cooking with gnocchi but this baked dish with three cheeses really takes it up a notch.

Serves 4
40 mins

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes before draining under cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in an oven proof frying pan and add the garlic while it heats. When the oil begins to bubble gently and the garlic begins to colour slightly add in the chilli flakes and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oil and discard.
3. Add the passata and cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir through the spinach until wilted. Add the gnocchi and stir through to coat. Season with salt and add in the fresh basil leaves.
4. Dot with ricotta and blue cheese and sprinkle generously with Parmesan. Sprinkle the top with a little water before placing in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving warm!

17.6oz best quality store bought gnocchi

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 1/2 cups tomato passata

3 tbsp cream

1/3 cup baby spinach

A good handful of basil leaves

3oz blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup ricotta

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt

500g best quality store bought gnocchi

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 tsp chilli flakes

700g tomato passata

50ml cream

75g baby spinach

A good handful of basil leaves

75g blue cheese, crumbled

75g ricotta

50g Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt

You'll Need

Saucepan

Oven proof frying pan

If you liked this

If you find the thought of making homemade pasta daunting, gnocchi is a good stepping stone. You could use store bought gnocchi, though, if you don’t feel up to it. Either way, the combination of golden gnocchi nuggets with creamy mozzarella, sweet garden peas and basil oil is a breath of summer air. This makes a superb starter or a light supper.

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Stuffed Gnocchi in a tomato sauce

April 26

This stuffed gnocchi or Gnocchi Ripieni Al Sugo are pillowy soft potato dumplings stuffed with a Parmesan filling and gently poached until tender served in a simple tomato sauce is still a dish of my dreams. In theory you could also stuff the gnocchi with a ricotta and spinach filling, which would be delicious, but would no doubt incur the wrath of some Italian somewhere.

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Gnudi with Broad Beans and White Asparagus

May 18

This dish is a perfect example of simple seasonal cooking from Sabrina Gidda, head chef of Bernardi’s restaurant in London. Marshmallow soft ricotta dumplings in a sharp buttery sauce with all the ingredients Spring can offer.

main-meals