You see that pretty bunch of basil? ⬆ A whole bunch of basil might look out of place on this plate but I didn’t care. I just wanted to show off because that was right from my garden! Yup, MY Garden. ???????????????? Fine, I don’t precisely own a whole garden. It is just that I have 4 different pots of herbs lined up in the corner of my corridor, but for today, let’s make pretend that Maya Kitchenette has her own garden!! *throws confetti in the air*.
Ever since I had a mini garden, I have been plucking basil and mint from my garden regularly and it is such an amazing feeling. Besides the experience of going through how JAMIE’O felt every time he cooked with fresh herbs, you can’t really beat fresh basil with your Pasta OR mint leaves (plus lemon and cucumber slices) in your water. More reasons to drink plenty of H20 for sure. ❤
Anyways, on my recent grocery shopping, I bought some fresh gnocchi. Gnocchi is mostly made with potatoes and you can consider them “Italian dumplings”. They’re delicious paired with the same sauces that are used for pasta be it a tomato sauce or some pesto. In-fact they go very well with brown butter too!
I know I wanted to drown these little pillows of gnocchi in a red sauce with a LOT of cheese. Not just any cheese, but fresh mozzarella. Delicious creamy red pasta sauce with tangles and tangles of melted mozzarella cheese. Ah…my head is spinning. I can not remember who I am anymor-e-e-e-e-e.
If you are a rock star, you can make your gnocchi from scratch but please don’t judge me for using store bought gnocchi because I am just your humble friend who still wants to eat yummy food despite having time constraints. If you likewise do not have plenty of time in hand, feel free to purchase fresh gnocchi. Just because you have no time to make your own gnocchi, you can’t deprive yourself of this dish. That would be a crying shame.
So basically all I did was to cook up a basic red pasta sauce, threw in the cooked gnocchi and chunks of mozzarella and I was treated with this cheesy, creamy, decadent dish. Oh, I topped it with parmesan cheese too. More cheese is always good right! The cheese made everything delicious and the fresh basil really freshen up this dish! If gnocchi is not available, you can always use any short pasta like penne or fusilli.
This Gnocchi al Pomodoro Recipe is a self-indulgent and a very comforting dish with Italian flavors. You can easily go Italian without having to make your way out of the house. Food somehow tastes extra delicious when you are wearing your old, over-sized T-shirt. Don’t give this recipe a pass! This is a weeknight dream meal.
- 1 16-ounce package fresh potato gnocchi
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (Crushed this roughly with a fork)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella mini balls (You can also use the larger ones and just cut it into cubes)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp dried Italian herbs
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes
- 2 stems fresh basil, plus more for garnishing
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- A handful of grated Parmesan cheese
- In a pot, saute the chopped onion and basil with 2 tbsp of oil for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute for a further 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot.
- Mix in the dried herbs and season with salt, chili flakes and black pepper.
- Simmer for about 20-30 minutes till the sauce is thick.
- Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the gnocchi. Season generously with salt and cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the boiling water.
- Drain the gnocchi.
- Stir in the heavy cream into the sauce and place the gnocchi into the cooked sauce.
- Top with the mozzarella balls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Cook this for 2-3 minutes till the cheese is melted.
- Top with basil and parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
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