Fresh Tomato & Bacon Gnocchi | 20 Mins

Fresh Tomato & Bacon Gnocchi | 20 Mins

This dish is the perfect balance between 'from scratch' and 'from the packet'... You're using ready made Gnocchi, but you can feel all virtuous by making a fresh (but fast) home-made tomato sauce, because let's be honest, nobody's got time for home-made Gnocchi at 6pm on a random Wednesday. Try this hearty, inexpensive and surprisingly light weeknight supper. 

DOWLOAD RECIPE CARD https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0823/2871/5561/files/001_Bacon_and_Fresh_Tomato_Gnocchi.pdf?v=1724190155

SERVES_2 to 3 

TIME_20 Mins

INGREDIENTS

  • 500g Gnocchi (boiled)
  • 30g Grated Parmesan
  • 150g Bacon (diced) 
  • 3 Large Tomatoes (rinsed, finely diced)
  • 5g Italian Seasoning
  • 5g Fresh Parsley - optional (rinsed, finely chopped)
  • 2 Garlic Cloves (rinsed, finely chopped)
  • 20g Fresh Rocket (rinsed)
  • 30g Sundried Tomato Pesto

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Dice and fry bacon
  • While bacon fries, rinse & finely dice tomatoes.
  • Peel & finely chop / mince garlic.
  • Rinse & finely chop parsley. Set all aside.\
  • Remove bacon from pan but keep pan aside unwiped. 
  • Add a generous amount of olive oil to the unwiped pan, add garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.
  • Add 1/2 cup of water & cook on medium heat for +- 8 to 10 mins until tomatoes begin to break down.
  • There should always be a good amount of liquid in the bottom of the pan. If the tomato mixture looks a little dry at any stage, just add more water.
  • While tomatoes cook, add boiling water to a pot with the gnocchi & a pinch of salt. Boil for +- 3 - 4 mins. You'll know its ready when the Gnocchi float to the top... don't overdo! Once done, drain Gnocchi and set aside. 
  • Stir pesto & parsley into the tomato mixture, then add bacon & gnocchi.
  • Mix gently until well combined, then turn off the heat.
  • Stir through the parmesan.
  • Top with fresh rocket. 

TIPS

  • If you have sundried tomatoes in oil on hand, just blend up 3 or 4 with a little olive oil - this makes a decent substitute for the pesto and saves you about R289 ;-)
  • Italian seasoning usually includes rosemary, basil, organum etc ... We use Nomu's Italian seasoning for our recipes, but Robertsons makes a pretty good Veggie Seasoning which is more readily available and contains sundried tomatoes which  makes so much difference, and it's non irradiated!
  • Gnocchi can get pricey - try the Lancewood Factory Shop on Ironside Road, it's always under R40  a bag:) 
  • Try and get the proper wood-smoked bacon. It is not much more expensive and makes all the difference.  
  • Don't use long life tomatoes... Buy the ripest tomatoes you can find, give the ugly tomatoes in the back of your fridge a chance to shine...or buy the ones that no one else will... these are the ones you're looking for, soft, juicy and ready for the pot!
  • Use fresh garlic cloves, and you cannot use too much so go big if you're a garlic fan.
  • Parsley is optional, but it's also loaded with vitamin A and antioxidants so we'd recommend adding it in if you have it on hand. 
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