Gnocchi Bake

Gnocchi Bake

serves 2-3, 30 min, grill finish

Ingredients

shelf gnocchi       500g (1 pack)
butter              30g
olive oil           1 tbsp
garlic              3 cloves, sliced
chilli flakes       1/2 tsp
cherry tomatoes     400g (or 350g passata)
ricotta             125g
mozzarella          125g (1 ball), torn
parmesan            30g, grated
basil               small handful
salt                1/2 tsp, plus to taste

Level up, pick one: brown 100g ’nduja or sausage in the pan before the garlic, or melt a 200g block of feta into the sauce, baked-feta style.

No boiling. A crowded pan steams the gnocchi soft, a single layer with room around each one browns them crisp. That’s the whole dish.

Recipe

1. Heat the grill to high. In a grill-proof skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat.

2. Tip in the gnocchi straight from the pack and spread to a single layer with a little room around each piece (do two batches if the pan is small). Cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. Season, then tip out onto a plate.

3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and chilli flakes to the same pan and cook 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, without browning the garlic.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer 5 to 8 minutes, crushing them as they burst, until thick and jammy. Season.

5. Stir the ricotta through in rough spoonfuls so it stays marbled. Fold the crisp gnocchi back in.

6. Scatter the torn mozzarella and parmesan over the top.

7. Slide under the hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes until melted, bubbling and blistered. Finish with basil and serve from the pan.

A cast iron skillet goes straight from hob to grill, no transferring.

Sources: What’s Gaby Cooking, Dished by Kate.