Meatless Monday – Gnocchi and cheese casserole
A creamy and cheesy casserole dish that is pure comfort food and simply irresistible – plus it is easy and quick to make.
Serves 3
You’ll need: For the sauce – 1 onion; 1 clove of garlic; 1 Tbsp Kerrygold Original Irish Butter; 1 can of peeled tomatoes; 1 tsp oregano; salt and pepper
For the casserole – 600g gnocchi; 125g grated Kerrygold Mature Cheddar; 1 bunch of basil; 50ml olive oil
How to:
Peel the onion and garlic and dice both finely. Heat the butter in a saucepan, and sauté the garlic and onion cubes while stirring until translucent.
Add the tomatoes and their juice into the saucepan. Finely mash them with a potato masher and simmer for about 15 minutes with the lid closed.
Boil water in a large saucepan, add plenty of salt and then heat the gnocchi in it according to the packaging instructions. Drain once cooked.
Preheat the oven to 200°C top/ bottom heat. Season the tomato sauce with salt, pepper and oregano.
Put half the sauce in a baking dish and place the gnocchi on top. Spread the remaining sauce over the gnocchi and sprinkle the grated cheddar on top.
Place the casserole dish on the middle rack in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted.
In the meantime, pluck the basil leaves off and puree them in a food processor with a little salt, pepper and olive oil.
Garnish the finished casserole with the basil oil and fresh basil to serve.
* Recipe & image kerrygold.com/za/
