Chickpea Gnocchi with Slow-roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chilli and Coriander

. January, 2018
Photography by Kelly Gibney.
Chickpea Gnocchi with Slow-roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Chilli and Coriander

This gnocchi recipe embraces warmth and a light spice. The sweetness of slowly roasted cherry tomatoes and browned butter makes a delicious sauce.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 punnet cherry tomatoes
olive oil for roasting
100 gram butter
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
large handful fresh coriander – roughly chopped
gnocchi
3 cups cooked chickpeas
¾ cup spelt flour plus ¼ cup extra as needed
2 size 7 free range eggs
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
cracked black pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 140 degrees celsius.

Halve the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Toss with your hands. Lay the tomatoes cut side up in an oven-proof dish.

Bake for 60–70 minutes until tender and slightly shriveled.

Place all the gnocchi ingredients into a food processor and run until relatively smooth. You’ll probably need to stop and scrap the sides at least once. If the mixture feels very wet add the extra flour one tablespoon at a time. Let the dough sit in the food processor for 15 minutes before rolling. If the day is very hot, place it in the fridge to rest.

Divide the dough into 4 even balls. Roll (using your hands) each into a log that is 2cm in width on a very well-floured board or benchtop. It helps to have your hands dusted with flour also. Cut into 3cm pieces using a clean knife. Repeat this process until the dough is finished. Place on plates that have also been dusted with flour. Do not let the pieces touch.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the water (do this in 3–4 batches so that the water doesn’t cool too much). The gnocchi are almost done when they rise to the surface. Give them a further minute before removing with a slotted spoon. Repeat until you’ve cooked the whole batch.

Heat the butter and cinnamon in a sauté pan over a medium high heat. Add the gnocchi and toss for 1 minute until the gnocchi is lightly golden and the butter smells slightly toasty.

Add the cherry tomatoes and chilli (be careful as the pan may spit and sizzle). Use the back of a spoon to squash about half the tomatoes. Mix everything together along with half the coriander and season to taste. Serve immediately topped with more fresh coriander.