Pan-fried Gnocchi With Cherry Tomato Sauce (30-Minute Meal)
Try this meal once and it may become one of your go-to meals! Pan fry gnocchi until golden and crispy, then toss in a simple but super tasty cherry tomato and basil sauce. The icing on the cake is a sprinkle of tangy feta cheese!
4tablespoonsolive oil(2 for the sauce, 2 for pan frying)
3cupscherry tomatoesor other small tomatoes (17 ounces (US) or 2 x 250 gram containers - this amount doesn't have to be exact!) Alternatively, use 2 x 14oz/400 grams cans of cherry tomatoes.
4clovesgarliccrushed or thinly sliced
17ouncesgnocchi(packaged is great for a super quick and easy meal, but if you'd like to make your own easy gnocchi, see recipe in notes section below)
Heat up around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan.
4 tablespoons olive oil
Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Let cook on high for a few minutes, then turn down the heat to medium. Add around ¼ cup (or 60ml) of water. Cook until the tomatoes break down into a chunky sauce (around 20 minutes). Shake the pan from time to time.
3 cups cherry tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic
While the sauce is cooking, heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on a medium high heat in a large skillet. When the end of a piece of gnocchi sizzles when dipped in, add the gnocchi to the pan in one single layer. Cook for around 10 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again, until golden and crispy on all sides.
17 ounces gnocchi
Take the gnocchi off the heat. Stir the balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper into the sauce. Stir in most of the basil. Add a splash or two more water to loosen up the sauce if necessary.
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 bunch fresh basil
Quickly toss the sauce through the gnocchi in the pan. Serve immediately. Garnish with the reserved fresh basil and crumbled/grated cheese if you like.
2 ounces feta cheese
Video
Notes
Recipe for homemade gnocchi
I usually use a good quality store-bought gnocchi for this recipe, just to make it super easy, but I've also made it with homemade gnocchi. It's incredible! Here's a basic recipe for potato gnocchi (you only need potatoes, flour, an egg and a bit of salt) if you'd like to try making your own some time:
Bake 1 pound/450 grams potatoes in their skins. You can either microwave for 8 to 10 minutes, bake in the oven for an hour to an hour and a half, or cook in your air fryer for about 40 minutes. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the potato flesh with a big spoon. Mash well in a medium bowl.
Tip one cup of plain flour onto a large wooden board or clean work surface. Make a well in the middle and add the mashed potato, 1 egg and half a teaspoon of salt.
Bring together and knead with your hands until you have a soft dough. Divide the dough into 4. Flour your surface and roll each piece of dough out into a long 'sausage' with your hands. Cut the 'sausage' into small rectangles. Your gnocchi are ready to cook!
Storing/Freezing instructions
Store-bought gnocchi usually keeps well in the refrigerator for some time (check the use-by date). The homemade cherry tomato sauce will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge if you want to make it ahead. It will freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months (try making double and freezing half for next time!). For homemade gnocchi, freeze the uncooked gnocchi on baking paper lined trays for a couple of hours. Then empty them into freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 weeks until you want to make this recipe.
Getting the right consistency to the sauce
If using fresh cherry tomatoes, I usually add a few extra splashes of water to the sauce before tossing it through the gnocchi. There are no rules on exactly how much. Just use your judgement and add enough so that it's still chunky but loose enough to actually look like a sauce and not just a pan of squishy tomatoes!You won't need to do this if using canned cherry tomatoes.
Amount of garlic
The sauce is quite garlic-y! If you aren't such a fan of garlic, just reduce the amount you use to just 2 cloves.
Air frying the gnocchi
You can also air fry the gnocchi instead of pan frying. Spray lightly with oil in the air fryer basket and cook for about 15 minutes at 390F/200C.