Gnocchi for Cheaters!

I'm re-posting this from our personal family blog, because it's been on my mind to make this again this week. And, because it's just so so yummy!

Do you have a favorite Gnocchi recipe? If so, feel free to comment! I'd be interested in making Gnocchi that's not for "cheaters"! :-)


Today I was reminiscing about our vacation back in 2007/08, and remembering the awesome gnocchi we ate in Rome's Campo de Fiori. I had fallen in love with Campo de Fiori when I studied in Italy back in college and talk about it all the time. The morning market was exactly how you picture life in Italy and how it should be. Flower vendors, fresh breads, cheese stalls and produce everywhere...Gosh it makes me depressed to compare this to my local Albertson's...

Anyway, I normally purchase our gnocchi at Trader Joe's, and it's...ok....But..

Tonight I decided to try this recipe. Oh my gosh, it is AMAZING! I swear, you cannot tell that you're cheating and using instant potato flakes! They were so light and fluffy and flavorful! I added some garlic powder and freshly chopped rosemary to the dough mixture to give it a little uumph. YUM. I'm not sure how advanced the author of the recipe is, but I'd say that a prep time of 10 minutes is very ambitious. I tripled the recipe (to have some leftovers for Tony's lunches), and it took me a good amount of time to roll out everything and cut them into shape.




Also for the first time tonight: I made pasta sauce from scratch! Yes, I realize many people do this frequently, but for me it was a big deal. And, I don't want to toot my own horn, but it was kind of awesome. (Except for the fact that I had to puree it for my baby, Ummm Hmmm, husband, who doesn't eat tomatoes in chunk form).


Here's the recipe:

*28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (yeah, I didn't use fresh tomatoes which would have been awesome, but alas, the rabbits ate them all from the plant in my garden)
*6 cloves of minced garlic
*1/4 c. of extra virgin olive oil
*A few dashes of red pepper flakes
*A few shakes of basil
*A few shakes of dried rosemary
*Salt
*Pepper
*A 1/2 c of Italian blended cheeses (Asiago, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Provolone, Fontina, & Romano)

Heat olive oil. Add minced garlic and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and spices. Stir frequently. When heated through, add cheese and simmer. Puree if serving picky eaters.

I spooned this over the gnocchi and served it with this fabulous 2004 Rosso which we got in Umbria. Sigh.