PUMPKIN TOMATO GNOCCHI

This was initially a dinner I cooked solely for my finance, in an effort to make good use of the leftover pumpkin and pasta sauce we had in the fridge. I taste-tested the sauce along the way and could not believe how well the pumpkin and tomato went together - it was like a dream. Therefore I had to devour a few small bowls of it and it only served us for one dinner and a lunch, instead of four meals for him. A very basic sauce with massive flavour, this is definitely a recipe i'll be making again. Make sure you don’t forget to add the the ½ cup of water to the sauce in step 2 as this is essential to the consistency of the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 scant tablespoon of dairy-free butter (such as Nutalex)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 300g pumpkin, skin & seeds removed and cut into even small pieces
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 250g of any type of tomato based, dairy-free pasta sauce 
• 500g gluten-free or regular gnocchi, ready made (or the gnocchi recipe from my blog!)

COOKING 

1. Bring a large covered saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the pre-made gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes or until all the gnocchi has risen to the surface. Remove from the stove and drain well. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin pieces and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, a pinch of sea salt & pepper and 1/2 a cup of water. Bring to the boil, covered, the simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. (If the sauce looks a tad too thick throughout the simmering, add some more water to the pan). Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan and stir well to combine with the sauce. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 - 25 minutes 

x Emily