Tomato and chorizo gnocchi
You could definitely make this for dinner tonight!
This recipe feels a bit un-elaborate by my OTT standards (case in point here and here). But, as I’m often reminded, you can’t eat a 12-ingredient, 24-step labour of love every damn night, Gemma. Sometimes you need simple sustenance that can be thrown together in the 20 minutes you have patience for, after a late one in the office or in the garden office, painting, as has been the case for us the last few evenings. We’ve gone green! And it looks good! Once the floor is in, I’ll show you properly.
Back to the food: this gnocchi recipe is cheap and cheerful, and entirely adaptable. It features fridge staples like cherry tomatoes - do you have your shit together or do you have half a bag of squishy, almost not fun-to-eat cherry toms in the bottom drawer? - and broccoli, and cupboard stuff you’re likely to have such as vegetable stock. For us, chorizo is an almost regular purchase (it’s a versatile ingredient that’ll always make more of a bleugh pasta or stew) and an easy buy from Tesco Express, if you don’t feel the same about an aged meat ring. Swap out the chorizo for sausages, a veggie alternative or yellow bell peppers. Utilise whichever herbs and spices you have in your arsenal. Omit the garlic because you can’t be bothered to chop it. Add peas, broad beans or whatever else you need to use up. Pour in a little cream at the end, or finish with a dollop of pesto before serving. Make it yours, and make it quick so you can get on with staring at your phone on the sofa, or tidying up Edward Bulmer splodges.
Serves 2 + a portion for lunch tomorrow
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 ring of chorizo, sliced then quartered
1 garlic bulb, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
300ml vegetable stock
1/2 head of broccoli florets, each one halved
400g gnocchi
100g Parmesan
1 mozzarella ball, torn up
Fresh basil, chopped
Get a pan nice and hot, add a good lug of olive oil and then throw in the tomatoes. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes, using the back of a spoon to smoosh them a little.
Add the salt, pepper, paprika, oregano and chilli flakes along with the chorizo and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring throughout to ensure the chorizo is getting firmer but not too crispy.
Throw in the garlic and some more olive oil if needed, and cook for another few minutes.
Next, add the tomato paste, let that sizzle for a moment, stir and then add the veg stock. Stir well, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat so your soupy mixture is lightly simmering. It should take about 10 minutes for the consistency to get a little thicker and silky - don’t let it reduce too much though as we want a saucy finish and the gnocchi will suck up some moisture when it’s added.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salty water to the boil and then add your broccoli for 4 minutes, before adding the gnocchi until it bobs to the surface.
When the gnocchi is done, sieve the gnocchi and broccoli and then tip into your chorizo sauce. Stir well to combine and serve up with Parmesan, mozzarella and basil.
Garlic bread is optional but encouraged.