Thursday 26 March 2020

BAKED GNOCCHI WITH ARTICHOKE, CHILLI & CREAM SAUCE






While it was still ok to have friends around for dinner (what an alien thought right now even though this was only last weekend!), I rustled up this gnocchi dish for my lovely friend Katie and her boyfriend Jordan. This was of course already when the British public was going a slightly insane, panic buying food for no discernible reason, which made this recipe such a great choice.

For one I don't think many people have tinned artichokes on their apocalyptic shopping list and as long as you can find some gnocchi, which I guess are a little less popular than the pasta, to be eaten by the kilo by everyone in this country, everything else in this recipe is either store cupboard (e.g chilli flakes and oregano) or stocked in even the smallest Sainsbury's local (spinach, cream parmesan).

I for one have found that my local greengrocer and nearby smaller Tesco's and Sainsbury's basically have everything, even, SHOCK horror, toilet paper, while when I have headed to bigger supermarkets the shelves have been fully ran sacked. Anyways this is proper comfort, fun to prepare, a delight to eat, especially when you are stuck with more than yourself like me right now, to give your loved ones, flatmates or whoever you live a reason to smile and forget what is going on for even just a second!

I have a lot of amazing recipes lined up as I will be very bored at home and am no good at watching Netflix right now, after all productivity is the best medicine to keep sane so watch out and let me know what you end up cooking!

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed and finely chpped
  • 200g  baby spinach 
  • 250ml double cream
  • squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 400 g jarred/canned artichokes drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 kg (2 pounds) shop bought potato gnocchi (if you can avoid supermarket own brands and get De Cecco's version)
  • 200g roughly torn mozzarella cheese

METHOD
  • Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC/390ºF. 
  • Fry the onion in a large saucepan until soft and translucent. 
  • Add the garlic and cook until fragrant then add the oregano, chilli flakes and spinach. 
  • Cook until the spinach has wilted then pour in the cream, lemon juice and artichokes. 
  • Allow to simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon easily then season to taste and set aside. 
  • Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted, boiling water until they float to the surface. 
  • Drain and stir into the sauce. 
  • Top the baked gnocchi with the mozzarella, then place in the oven and allow to bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. 
  • Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve.

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