Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Arugula

Post and images by guest blogger, Rebecca White, of A Pleasant Little Kitchen. 

Visit her full blog or find out more about her here. 

Italian food cravings generally involve pasta.

Flat, ribbed, thin, swirly or thick-- it’s hard to get tired of this dried good. There are many pasta shapes and sauces to consider when making this comforting Italian food.

What about gnocchi though? This billowy dumpling sometimes gets left out of the mainstream Italian game and that’s unfortunate.

Gnocchi are Italian dumplings. My favorite variety is made from a combination of flour and potato. Sometimes cheeses and herbs are included in the ingredients. They are delightful and need to be readily stocked in your pantry because:

They take just a COUPLE of minutes to cook.

The dumpling are filling and easily dressed (sometimes all it takes is some browned butter and chopped sage leaves).

They lend itself to being a more “fancy” meal but are actually easier to prepare than dried pasta (which is hard to believe, but true).

One of my favorite ways to eat gnocchi is with homemade tomato sauce, Pecorino Romano and chopped arugula.

It is a meal that requires minimal effort for a high end result.

To make the sauce, combine crushed tomatoes, diced onion, kosher salt, dried oregano and butter. Once the ingredients have simmered for 15 minutes, add an optional dollop of mascarpone for an extra creamy touch.

Meanwhile, add the gnocchi to boiling water. After two minutes, they float to the top. Remove the gnocchi, dump the water and then put the gnocchi back into the pan with the cheese and arugula.

Stir. Add the sauce. Stir some more. Now smile.

This decadent meal took only minutes to prepare and is now a staple for your kitchen.

Shopping for this recipe is just as easy as cooking it.

When collecting the ingredients at Market Street you don’t have to wander far. On the way to the produce section to pick up the pre-washed arugula and local Texas onions, snag the mascarpone, pre-grated pecorino romano and gnocchi (it’s tucked between the cured meats and imported cheeses).

Hopefully there’s unsalted butter and kosher salt stocked in your pantry. No biggie if not, a stroll through Market Street is always tasty - you never know what delicious samples there will be to enjoy.

On your way to check-out, grab a box of diced tomatoes and then you’re golden.

Next time you’re craving Italian, think of gnocchi with creamy tomato sauce and arugula. It’s filling, comforting and fancy.

Oh, and don’t forget the crusty bread from the Market Street bakery—it’s kinda the cherry on top.

Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Arugula

Author note: Spinach can also be used to substitute the arugula. Be generous with the amount of arugula added to the gnocchi. Parmesan can also be substituted for the Pecorino Romano. Toasted pine nuts are a delicious topper for this meal.

Ingredients: 

1 17.5 ounce package of gnocchi

1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/4 cup diced onions

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoon mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated

Organics arugula, chopped

Directions: 

1) Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil.

2) Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, onions, butter, oregano and salt into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

3) Add the mascarpone to the sauce, and stir. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.

4) Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once it floats to the top, remove the gnocchi and set aside in a bowl.

5) Discard the water from the pan and add the gnocchi back into the pan. Add the pecorino and chopped arugula to the gnocchi. Stir.

6) Top with the creamy tomato sauce. Stir and serve warm.