It's one of those strange days in between Christmas and New Year. Somehow, despite eating more than we've ever eaten in our lives, there are still a few random vegetables left in the fridge. Not regarded as good enough for the festive feast, my Dad and I gave these veggies new life with this anti-waste tomato gnocchi recipe.
Whether it's Christmas time or not, I seem to always have spurious vegetables in the fridge which invariably turn to kimchi in my veg draw. These days, it's more important than ever to minimise our food waste, both for the planet and for our wallets!
These days, it's more important than ever to minimise our food waste.
This recipe is, in fact, more of an anti-recipe. It's designed specifically to work with almost any vegetable in your fridge, and can be adorned with basically any nut from those weird mixes you always seem to accumulate. The base is tomato, which I seem to perpetually find going soft somewhere in my kitchen. The rest can be largely improvised, both in type and quantity.
For example, we used a left over onion, yellow pepper and half a jar of capers from the depths of the fridge. You could use courgette, carrot (diced very small to keep cooking time down), celery, mushrooms, any green leafy veg, peas… the list could go on and on. Open up that fridge door and let your imagination run wild. As a rule, try to cook the harder veg (e.g. carrots) in with the onion and leave leafy or soft veg (e.g. leafy greens, courgette etc) to the end.
Anti Waste (AKA whatever happens to be in your fridge) Gnocchi
Ingredienti
Serves 2-6 depending on how much veg you use
Olive oil
1 onion (white or red, either works)
2 large cloves of garlic (if you have it)
Approx 500g tomatoes (~ 5-6 medium tomatoes, any variety)
1 tsp capers (or green olives, some lemon zest, a few anchovies)
Yellow pepper (and/or courgette, carrot, mushrooms, peas etc)
1 1/2 tsp sugar (or honey)
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp tomato puree
White wine (if you've got some)
Oregano (or thyme, basil, parsley etc, fresh or dried)
1 pack Sunny & Luna Cauliflower Gnocchi
A handful of pine nuts (or cashews, almonds, pistachios, or a mix of seeds)
Parmesan
Non è un problema
Use this recipe as an opportunity to follow your gut in the kitchen. Trust your instincts for what will work well together.
You can simmer the sauce for as long as you like, depending on how crunchy or soft you like your veg.
The nature of frying gnocchi is such that you’ll be hard pressed to overdo it. Saute the gnocchi for as long as you like for the perfect balance of crisp and chew..
Preparazione
Dice the onion and smash the garlic cloves with the back of a knife, or dice finely.
Add 1 tbsp oil to a large frying pan and when hot add the onion. Saute on a medium heat until they start to soften. Add the garlic and reduce the heat if they start to catch. Saute until both are soft and fragrant.
If you're using carrots or another hard veg, chop it finely and add now.
Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and mince the capers. Add to the pan and stir. Leave this mix in the pan until the tomatoes have started to break down.
In this time, chop up the veg you've chosen. Add to the pan (apart from soft leafy greens, like spinach, which can be added later). Stir, add the sugar and season generously. Add the tomato puree and a splash of water. Stir and leave to simmer.
If you have an open bottle of white wine, add a generous glug now. Pour yourself a glass too, if you like.
Once the sauce has been simmering for 10 - 15 minutes and the veg is
softening, add any leafy greens and herbs.
In a clean pan, fry the gnocchi in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes, or longer for crispier edges. It should be squishy to the touch and a little golden on the outside. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the nuts or seeds to toast slightly.
Tip the gnocchi and nuts into the sauce and mix well. Top with parmesan and some fresh salad leaves, if you like.
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