Good Morning Lovelies, 

Being half Italian means that I have been very fortunate enough to try a number of different pasta dishes. As soon as I see a lasagne, my heart skips a beat. Especially if it is thick, chunky and full to the brim. I don’t want the runny kind. Oh no, I want the kind that houses could be built with. 

To me, pasta is everything that your heart could want when you go on a trip to Italy. No matter what part you visit, if you can get a wonderful Italian Nonna to make you a homemade dish then you have won the lottery. Yet, it isn’t always easy to take a trip to sit down at the table with one. Therefore, I have come up with a recipe that the Nonnas within Italy would be proud of. 

Having kindly been sent a number of Pasta Sauce Provenance samples to try from the wonderful Cirio range, I headed into the kitchen to make this tomato based gnocchi dish that is perfect for those evenings where you want something hearty but don’t want to be in the kitchen for too long. Grab a fork and get stuck in right away lovelies with this one…

Ingredients

500g of Potato Gnocchi (Pre-made Is Fine)

One Box of Cirio Bologna Provenance Pasta Sauce 

One Tablespoon of Olive Oil

One Small Diced Onion

One Minced Garlie Clove

50g of Fresh Parmesan

OPTIONAL: A Small Handful of Fresh Basil, Salt & Black Pepper, 100g of Mushrooms/Pancetta (For Extra Flavour)

Tools

A Large Pan

Two Mixing Spoons

A Saucepan

A Sieve

Method

1. To start, place a large pan over a medium heat and add in the olive oil. Place the onion into it and cook gently for five minutes until soft. Then add in the garlic (and the mushrooms or pancetta if using) and cook for a further two to three minutes.
2. Once cooked, pour in the Bologna sauce and allow the mixture to simmer for eight to 10 minutes uncovered.
3. Whilst the sauce simmers, take a saucepan and add water and salt into it. Place over a medium heat and all it to boil for a few minutes. When ready, add in the gnocchi and allow it to cook until it floats. This usually takes two to three minutes. 
4. When ready, quickly drain it and place it into the sauce mixture. Toss everything together gently until fully coated and heated throughout. 
5. After the mixture is fully cooked, turn off the heat and add in most of the cheese. Stir together, along with any seasonings you may wish to add and serve.
6. Upon plating up, you can add extra cheese, fresh basil or spices to elevate it more! The choices are endless!

Using the Cirio sauces really helped to bring this recipe to life, as well as a whole load of others that me and my mum have used them for! Each city that they represent is truly captured, making you feel like you are back in the wonders of the mediterranean with every single mouthful. Whether that be the joys of Roma or the heart of Genova, Cirio has got these sauces down to a fine art!