Pan-fried Gnocchi with Balsamic Sun-dried Tomatoes

The first time that I ever had gnocchi was in Nice, France, where I tried it with a creamy scallop sauce. It was from that moment on that I knew I would be eating a lot more of the stuff. I fell in love with the soft and slightly chewy texture of the gnocchi- a cross between pasta and a soft potato. Gnocchi is actually made from flour, eggs and mashed potato and then shaped into the authentic oval dumplings and then boiled like pasta. The process to make gnocchi would take quite a bit of time and effort so I resort to buying it in the supermarkets instead; you can get fresh gnocchi in the fridge section or a vacuum packed dryer version in the pasta section. 

I tried pan-fried gnocchi at a restaurant called 'Fellicinni' and the dish was beautifully done; with the gnocchi being accompanied by goat's cheese, cherry tomatoes, olives and salad leaves. I had a craving for weeks to have pan-fried gnocchi again after leaving the restaurant. Consequently I was inspired to make my own version with what I had in the fridge; sun-dried tomatoes. My version definitely left me satisfied and the feeling of wanting more so I guess I will have to make it again. It is something that is so very easy to make and tastes fabulous and looks quite impressive at a dinner party; there is even potential to add more glamour to the dish by simply adding things like cheese (feta or goat's cheese) and green leaves.

Serves: 2

Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

A packet of ready made gnocchi

4 large cloves of garlic finely chopped

around 8 sun-dried tomatoes chopped (I used the ones in oil)

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pinch sugar

Salt to taste

Olive oil

Pan of boiling water

Method:

1. Boil the gnocchi reading the instructions on the packet- it should only take around 2 minutes once placed in boiling water. Drain the gnocchi.

2. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and fry till golden, then add the sun-dried tomatoes and fry some more.

3. Add the gnocchi to the pan and fry with the tomatoes and garlic till a lightly browned. 

4. Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and fry till the gnocchi are a bit more browned- don't burn them.

5. Add the salt and sugar to taste.

6. Always serve gnocchi warm and never cold as the texture is at its softest when warm.

Suggestions:

1. Serve on a bed of rocket and goats cheese or feta.

2. Add herbs such as basil to garnish

3. Make a balsamic dressing by reducing the balsamic vinegar down to a thick sauce to dress the gnocchi.

A post form Fullest of Life

Italian basil, tomato and salmon macaroni cheese

This is the first savoury recipe on this blog. I think that you may have figured out that I have a pretty sweet tooth if you had a quick browse through the blog.

Macaroni cheese is one of those dishes which reminds you of your childhood days, it is always a favourite with everyone and I guess anything with cheese is tasty; the more cheese the better. I remember asking my mum to add even more cheese than there already was, I guess I was a just cheesy person; forgive me, yes it's a bad joke so no pun intended. I have had macaroni cheese with different kinds of cheeses, but the good old English Cheddar cheese is always going to be the best. However this time I thought that I would add a twist, go for an Italian theme, and as I said before, as long as it has cheese in it, it will definitely taste good; I was right. I guess that you can even try making your own version of 'mac n cheese' by experimenting with different flavours as it's such a versatile base. Or if you are one of those people who always like the good old, you can just stick to the simple basic recipe with no added extras; classic. What ever you go for I can almost assure you that you eat your plate clean.


Serves 4
Time to prepare:30mins

Ingredients:
200g macaroni pasta
2 tbsp butter
2tbsp plain flour
450 ml milk
150g-200g Cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)
50g smoked salmon or normal salmon fillet
a handful of cherry tomatoes halved
a bunch of fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 180C.

2.In a saucepan boil the pasta for around 5 mins till it is around half cooked.Drain the water.

3. In another pan melt the butter and add the flour, this will make a roux to thicken the milk. Once a paste is formed add the milk slowly; make sure that you keep stirring so that there are no lumps.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes, salmon and basil (chopped). 

5.Keep on the heat and keep stirring, you should slowly see the sauce thickening. Once it is has thickened up a bit add the cheese (but not all as you want some for the topping) and mix in. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix in.

7. Now pour the pasta mixture into an oven proof dish. Add a few cherry tomatoes, basil leaves and cheese to garnish the top.

8. Bake in the oven with a lid for around 20mins. then without the lid for around 20mins.

9. Serve nice and hot.

Notes:
1. You can try using different cheeses like Red Leister instead of Cheddar.
2. You don't have to add the salmon, tomatoes and salmon if you just want plain macaroni cheese.
3. Try adding bread crumbs on top before baking for added texture.

A post from FullestofLife