Baked gnocchi under a monterey jack lid
The gnocchi never touch a pan. They go in raw and come out plumped.
At a Glance
Story
Every other gnocchi recipe in this house crisps them in a skillet. This one does the opposite on purpose: sealed under foil with tomato paste and a little water, they behave like small dumplings and swell instead of browning. Two entirely different dishes from the same bag.
Ingredients
- 12 oz shelf-stable gnocchi
- 10 oz smoky pork sausagetorn into bite-size pieces
- 1 poblano pepperseeded and diced
- ½ yellow oniondiced
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 4 oz grape tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- 2 oz Monterey Jackcoarsely grated
- olive oilsalt, pepper
Method
The sofrito the original ships in a packet is just poblano, onion and garlic softened in oil, so we make it in the same dish and save the washing up.
- Rack in the centre, oven to 450°F.
- In a baking dish, toss the poblano, onion and garlic with a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast 10 minutes, until slipping softly about the dish.
- Add the gnocchi, tomatoes, tomato paste and ½ cup of water. Season generously and stir until the paste dissolves into a thin sauce.
- Tear the sausage over the top in an even layer. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes.
- Off with the foil. Stir in the crème fraîche, then scatter the Monterey Jack across the surface. Back in, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese has gone molten and slightly blistered.
- Let it stand 3 minutes. It is lava, and you will not enjoy being right about that.
Serve in shallow bowls, with the burnt bits from the corner fought over openly.
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