Easy | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 2–3

This is the kind of dish that has no right being as good as it is given how little effort goes into it. Gnocchi, chorizo, tomato sauce, and mozzarella — chucked in a dish and baked until the top goes golden and the cheese pulls in those long, satisfying strings. It’s five minutes of prep and twenty-five minutes of the oven doing all the work.

Ingredients

  • 500g shop-bought gnocchi
  • 120g cooking chorizo, sliced
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ball mozzarella, torn
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dried basil or oregano
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • Handful of fresh basil
  • 30g parmesan, grated
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Build the sauce Preheat oven to 200°C (fan). In an oven-safe dish or pan, fry the chorizo in a splash of oil until it releases its red oil. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, dried herbs, and chilli flakes. Season and simmer for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the gnocchi Stir the gnocchi directly into the sauce. No need to boil them first — they’ll cook in the oven.

  3. Top and bake Tear the mozzarella over the top. Scatter with parmesan. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the gnocchi is cooked, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is golden and blistered.

  4. Serve Finish with fresh basil. Eat from the dish.

Cook With Your Senses

Inspired by Ethan Chlebowski’s sensory approach to cooking — the idea that your senses should tell you more than a timer ever could.

  • Look: The top should be blistered and golden with the mozzarella forming brown-edged bubbles. The sauce around the edges should be actively bubbling.
  • Listen: When it comes out of the oven, it should still be sizzling. If it’s silent, it hasn’t been in long enough.
  • Smell: The chorizo oil perfumes the entire dish. You should be able to smell the smokiness from outside the oven.
  • Touch: The gnocchi should be soft and pillowy when you press one with a spoon. If they’re still firm, they need more time.
  • Taste: The first bite should be smoky, then creamy, then the tomato tang comes through. The mozzarella adds a milky richness that ties it all together.

Notes

  • Using the gnocchi straight from the packet (unboiled) is the move. They absorb the sauce and get a better texture in the oven.
  • The chorizo oil turns the entire dish smoky and slightly spicy. Don’t drain it.
  • You can swap mozzarella for burrata if you want to be fancy. It melts even more beautifully.
  • Add spinach or kale to the sauce before baking if you want some green in there.

Inspiration

Adapted for Ryan’s kitchen. Original inspiration: chefjonwatts.com