Gnocchi with Fresh Tomatoes, Green Olives, and Smoked Mozzarella

Chef

Mario Batali

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Cookbook

Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home

Published by Ecco

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Gnocchi with Fresh Tomatoes Green Olives and Smoked Mozzarella

This image courtesy of Cookstr

Editor's Note: If you'd like to try an Italian recipe that is easy to make and delicious, too, then this recipe for Gnocchi with Fresh Tomatoes, Green Olives, and Smoked Mozzarella needs to be on your radar! In this recipe from Chef Mario Batali, gnocchi plays a starring role, with ample support from a number of additional ingredients. This recipe is quick to make and can be served on a weeknight after a busy day at work. It's also elegant enough to prepare for that special someone in your life. If you'd like, you can also serve this hearty dish as an appetizer for a larger meal.

These are the gnocchi of my childhood, but we almost always ate them with an oxtail ragu (we lived to chew on the little “hubcap” bones on the sides of the pinwheels of the oxtail bones). This is a much quicker and lighter recipe, one that your friends will want to eat. My friends used to think we were the odd ones on the block, they who ate frozen dinners in front of the TV.

Serves4 servings as a main course, 8 servings as an appetizer

CostInexpensive

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Recipe CourseHot Appetizer, Main Course

Dietary ConsiderationVegetarian

MealDinner, Lunch

Taste and TextureCheesy, Salty, Savory, Smoky

Type of DishPasta

Ingredients

1 pound plum tomatoes
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup green olives, such as picholine, pitted
1 basic gnocchi
4 ounces smoked fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt.
Meanwhile, core the tomatoes and chop them into ¼-inch cubes, reserving all the juices.
In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the olives and remove from the heat.
Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain.
Carefully add the gnocchi to the pan with the tomato mixture. Return to the heat and toss gently until bubbling. Add the mozzarella and marjoram and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed serving dish, and serve immediately.