Hello fall...I know, I know we have three more weeks. Depending on where you live, fall may feel like it's here already. I live in England, so summer was over before it even began. I'm not complaining! I am an autumn girl all the way.
The cozy jumpers, pumpkin spice lattes, the smell of burning firewood, I could go on and on. Today's dish is just the perfect transition from summer to fall. It's light yet comforting. Making the gnocchi from scratch is just as soothing as the rain hitting my window last night. To make this a weekday friendly dish, I used fresh store bought gnocchi, but you can make it from scratch if you have the time and desire. I prefer to buy it from the fresh pasta aisle, as the gnocchi in the dry pasta aisle has additives to conserve it, making it rubbery. I find it inedible. There are thousands of great recipes for homemade gnocchi online. It can be tricky, so I suggest watching one with a video. Fresh gnocchi packages tend to come in 350 g. and I allow 125 g. per serving. There are some good store brands, but I prefer Dell'Ugo potato gnocchi from Italy , available from Waitrose or Ocado. It's so delicious! This very tasty dish can be prepared in under 15 minutes. After a hectic day of work, school runs, dog walking and what ever else you may have going on, it is golden. The best thing about this dish is that it tastes and looks like you slaved in the kitchen for hours. So pour yourself a glass of red, sit back and enjoy. XOXO
Gnocchi with Pan Fried Chouriço Roasted Red Peppers Kale Fresh Mozzarella
Serves 4
125 g. Chouriço thinly sliced or cubed
600 g. Gnocchi store bought or home made
120 g. Cavolo Nero or other kale variety
250 g. Buffalo Mozzarella (I like Garofalo brand from Italy)
25 g. Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
25 g. Grana Padano cheese grated plus more to serve
125 ml. White wine (dry)
75 ml. Double cream
1 Small onion finely diced
2 Roasted red peppers from a jar
1 Lemon (Juice from half lemon only)
Salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind chouriço and cheese are salty)
4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions and set aside.
2. In a frying pan on medium high heat add olive oil and chouriço and fry until crisp, turning often so both sides cook evenly. About 3 minutes.
3. Lower heat. Add roasted red peppers and white wine. Let simmer 1 minute. Add juice from half a lemon. If the sauce seems to have evaporated a bit, add 25ml. of water. Add double cream, stir and add reserved gnocchi. Stir to envelope in the sauce, add Grana Padano cheese and cook for 1 minute more on a low heat.
4. Hand tear pieces of the fresh Buffalo mozzarella and add to pan. Divide gnocchi into four deep pasta bowls. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Pairs beautifully with red wine.
Enjoy Darlings
The most glorious buffalo milk mozzarella
