Tyrolean Spinach Gnocchi with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce and Crispy Speck

Name: Tyrolean Spinach Gnocchi with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce and Crispy Speck
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: Serves 2 servings
Ingredients: 11 oz spinach Tyrolean gnocchi (about 320 grams); 6 1/3 cups water (about 1.5 liters); Cooking spray; 1 tablespoon olive oil for finishing; A few fresh basil leaves; 15 –20 fresh cherry tomatoes; 7 oz sliced speck (about 200 grams); Salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste; 1 garlic clove

Anna Maria Rossi @ciaoobao

A delicious recipe that takes very little time to prepare, perfect for a light yet tasty lunch. I was inspired by a less traditional version of Amatriciana—yes, the one with guanciale and fresh cherry tomatoes (no offense to Amatriciana purists!). Here, I swapped the richer guanciale for speck and made the sauce lighter for a healthier option. The result is truly satisfying and easy for anyone to make—give it a try and see for yourself!

Anna Maria Rossi @ciaoobao

Saved

Ingredients

20 minutes

Serves 2 servings

11 ozspinach Tyrolean gnocchi (about 320 grams)
6 1/3 cupswater (about 1.5 liters)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoonolive oil for finishing
A fewfresh basil leaves
15–20 fresh cherry tomatoes
7 ozsliced speck (about 200 grams)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1garlic clove

Saved

Steps

20 minutes

1

Peel and crush a medium garlic clove. Add it to a nonstick skillet with a few sprays of cooking spray and a few ladles of water. Sauté briefly.
2

Wash about 20 red or yellow cherry tomatoes thoroughly, quarter them, and add them to the skillet for a light sauté.
3

Meanwhile, fill a pot with water and add a generous handful of kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
4

Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste, and add a few fresh basil leaves. Pour a few ladles of the pasta cooking water into the skillet to help form a sauce, which will thicken as it cooks. For extra flavor, you can add a packet of sugar (optional) to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
5

In a hot nonstick pan, toast the speck until crispy. Once crisp, drain off any excess fat and set aside.
6

When the water boils, add the gnocchi to the pot. They only need about a minute to float to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the sauce, letting them finish cooking as the sauce thickens.
7

Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and plate the dish. Top with the crispy speck and finish with a sprinkle of black pepper or Parmesan cheese. And there you have it—a recipe that's even easier to make than it is to describe!