lazy susan | january

my love affair with gnocchi started overseas on my one and only trip to Italy with my husband back in 2003. our last few nights there were spent on the little island of Lido near Venice. we stayed in a tiny hotel in a neighborhood where there were few other tourists and no one spoke much English. during our stay there we ate at the same restauraunt where we sat at the same table every single night to get a fill of their extra amazing gnocchi. i still daydream about that gnocchi…

when i found this recipe while scouring Pinterest last year, i knew id found a gem. its a breeze to make and only requires 7 simple ingredients so it has become a staple meal in our home. its especially perfect when its cold outside and you have a big hunk of fresh bread. the addition of chili flakes doesn’t settle well with my kiddos but you can easily pull out a serving of gnocchi and tumble with tomato sauce and parmesan separately for the youngins.

Remember to follow through to the rest of my Lazy Susan friends to grab the rest of this month’s 7 or less ingredient recipes; there is something for everyone’s taste buds…

Mozzarella, Tomato & Gnocchi Bake
from Donal Skehan

1 package of prepared gnocchi (regular or whole wheat)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 finely chopped onion
1 large can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried chili flakes
fresh log of mozerella cut into slices
1 tsp sugar (optional)
handful of fresh basil
seal salt and black pepper to taste
grated parmesan (optional)

- preheat oven to 400°

- cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions and set aside

- heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook onion and chopped garlic until soft. add in the chopped tomatoes and chili flakes and combine. after bringing the sauce to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so until it has reduced.

- add in the sugar and season with the sea salt and black pepper.

- toss the gnocci and sauce together in pan until gnocchi is generously coated.

- pour into a 9×9 dish or a high sided pie pan. cover with mozerella slices and torn basil leaves. dont be afraid to be generous with the mozzarella; this cheese is a perfect counterpart to this spicy dish!

- place in the oven for abut 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. serve in bowls topped with grated parmesan and fresh bread!

for another amazing 7 ingredient healthy dish, check out the recipe for Roasted Tomato and Basil Lasagna from my Amanda Prince at The Sunny Vegan