Tomato, mince and Parmesan baked gnocchi

Delicious, but casual.
Flavor for the whole family to enjoy.

Serves: 4
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, to fry
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• leave of 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
• small handful fresh thyme leaves
• 250 ml (1 cup) red wine - optional
• 500 g beef mince
• 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
• 375 ml (1.5 cups) beef stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 x 500 g store-bought gnocchi
• 2 handfuls grated Parmesan
• Charred vine tomatoes. to serve (optional)

Method:

1. To a large pot, add a drizzle of olive oil. Fry the minced garlic over low heat, 1 minute, before adding the rosemary and thyme. Cook, a further 2 minutes, before adding the red wine. Increase the heat to high and reduce the wine, about 10 minutes, until barely any liquid remains. Add the beef mince and stir, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Cook the mince, 5 minutes, before adding the tomatoes and beef stock. simmer the mixture over medium heat, about 20 minutes. Taste and season generously.
2. Add the gnocchi to the mixture and mix to combine, then simmer, 3 minutes. Taste a piece of gnocchi to check that it's cooked. If the gnocchi isn't tender, simmer a further 1-2 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to very hot and add the mince-gnocchi mixture to a medium casserole dish (about 25cm², although it doesn't need to be exactly that size). Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the mixture in the casserole dish and place under the hot grill, about 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye as you don't want the cheese to burn - you want it to be bubbly and golden. Serve immediately, topped with charred vine tomatoes, if desired.

Credit: Food and Home