A fantastic way to pep-up store-bought gnocchi and turn it into something really special. We're serving it with crispy chorizo, onions and peppers in a creamy-yet-spicy harissa and coconut milk sauce.
I also like to pack in fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes. A brilliant 30-minute weeknight dinner.
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Why is this my FIRST gnocchi recipe on the blog? 😳
It's so quick and easy to serve up a lip-smacking dinner using store-bough gnocchi. I love that it can take BIG flavours like chorizo and harissa and soak them all up.
I took inspiration from my ravioli sauce recipe (which uses store-bought ravioli) with the tangy, creamy sauce, but decided to go with harissa to give it a bit of heat and coconut milk to give it that creamyness.
The addition of the crispy chorizo adds a lovely salty bite to the whole dish!
📋 What do we need?
- Gnocchi - I use regular, fresh, store-bought gnocchi, but of course you can use homemade gnocchi if you like.
- Chorizo - I use ready-diced Spanish chorizo for this recipe, to save on time. I like one that's a little bit spicy, but you can use your favourite chorizo, and go milder if you prefer.
- Harissa - I use rose harissa, which is a little bit milder than regular harissa. It contains dried rose petals, which gives it a slightly more complex taste, but you usually can't taste the rose in there. Use regular harissa or rose - both work great with this dish.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Because the gnocchi cooks really quickly, we're cooking the chorizo and sauce first.
So start off by frying the chorizo in a little bit of oil. You don't need much, as the chorizo release its own oils as it cooks. Once it's crispy, remove from the pan, leaving any oils behind. - Fry onions, peppers and garlic in the chorizo oil. Season with a little salt and pepper, then add harissa, tomato puree, coconut milk and cherry tomatoes to the pan.
- Let that simmer for 5 minutes, and during that time, cook your gnocchi.
- Now add the gnocchi, cooked chorizo and fresh spinach to the pan with the sauce and stir it all together until heated through.
👩🍳PRO TIP Gnocchi only takes a couple of minutes to cook in boiling water. Once the gnocchi is cooked, it will float to the top of the pan of water.
I like to serve it topped with a little black pepper, parsley and a few chilli flakes.
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Fresh Artisan Bread
- A Simple Green Salad
So much flavour in every bite!
My question to you now is....
Should I share a recipe for how to make gnocchi from scratch?
Also, are you interested in different gnocchi flavours?
Let me know in the comments below 😊
Harissa is a spicy, smoky chilli paste that originated in Tunisia. Usually red in colour, it adds a rich, spicy flavour to dishes. It's great as a rub/marinade or mixed in to sauces.
Rose harissa contains rose petals and sometimes rose water. You can't generally taste the rose, but it adds a gentle richness and floral quality to dishes.
I find regular harissa to be a little hotter than rose harissa.
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Gnocchi with Chorizo and Creamy Harissa Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- 150 g (5.3 oz) diced chorizo - - Use your favourite variety. I use ready-chopped Spanish chorizo
- 1 small onion - , peeled and finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper - , deseeded and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic - , peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ tbsp harissa paste
- 1 tbsp tomato puree (paste) - paste
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cherry (grape) tomatoes - sliced in half
- 500 g (17.6 oz) fresh gnocchi
- 60 g (2 packed cups) baby spinach
To Serve:
- Chilli flakes
- Black pepper
- Freshly chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat.
- Add the chorizo and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the chorizo starts to release its oils.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo. Place in a bowl and put to one side
- Turn the heat on the pan down to medium and add the chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion and peppers soften.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil for the gnocchi.
- Add the harissa paste and tomato puree to the pan with the onions and stir together.
- Add the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, add the gnocchi to the pan of boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes, until the gnocchi floats to the top of the pan.
- Once the gnocchi is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and place directly in the frying pan with the sauce.
- Add the spinach and the chorizo you cooked earlier.
- Stir together and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.
- Serve topped with chilli flakes, black pepper and fresh parsley.
Video
✎ Notes
Cook the dish, then cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in the pan, over a medium heat, stirring often, until piping hot. You may need to add a splash of water to loosen the sauce up when reheating. Can I freeze it? I don't recommend freezing this dish. Ingredient swaps
- Swap out the chorizo for crispy bacon, or you could even add in chunks of cooked chicken, pork or prawns.
- Add in different vegetables - such as peas, chopped green beans or chunks of courgette (zucchini).
If doubling, it may take a few minutes more to cook the vegetables and heat everything through when the gnocchi, chorizo and spinach is added to the pan. Nutritional information is per serving, based on 4 servings.
Nutrition
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Nicky says
Easy, quick and ohhh so very tasty. Did a double batch of this for a two family meal with friends. (with the addition of 3 chicken breasts cut into small pieces cooked in the chorizo oil for couple minutes before peppers added) Adults and kids alike polished it off. Will be making many a time more...that's for sure!
Steve Harbinson says
Just made, totally delicious added smoked paprika and some aleppo chilli flakes, like mine with a little zing, thanks
Janet says
Great super simple tasty recipe. I’m not the biggest fan of gnocchi as I find it can be bland, but this recipe really lifted it. I’ll definitely make this again.
Sarah says
Absolutely delicious. Thank you for it, it's perfect. I scaled it up coz we're piggies 🐷 hehe.
Lainey says
Really tasty! My husband wasnt too keen on harissa when I used it once before in another receipe, so he wasn't expecting to like this, but I think mixing with the coconut milk made the difference. There's similar ingredients in another recipe from another site, not the harissa, and it has prawns in it, so I think the next time I make this I might add some prawns to the sauce.
Shaun Silson says
Another winner. Exactly as you say creamy and spicy enough with a nice range of textures and flavours. Served with some home made garlic bread and salad. Gorgeous.
Christine says
I love gnocchi, and this sauce was so flippin tasty😋 Definitely going on my recipe rotation.
susan jackson says
WOW!!
FULL OF FLAVOUR HAD IT WITH A PORK CHOP AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. ALL FOUR OF US LIKED IT AND WOULD DEFINITELY DO IT AGAIN. I DID ADD A FEW MUSHROOMS AND MANGE TOUT AS I ONLY HAD ONE BAG OF SPONGE.
Alan Priddle says
Very tasty how do you make your own gnocchi please
Erenata says
Hi Nicky,
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one. As my boyfriend doesn’t like coconut milk, can I change the recipe by using full fat milk or heavy cream ?
Thanks for your help and greetings from Germany.
Erenata
Nicky Corbishley says
Thank you Erenata 🙂
Yes, you can replace with heavy cream, but I would add less, taste and then add more if you need it (as heavy creamy is richer than coconut milk).
Paul and Charity Sauvé says
Hello Nicky, from Canada.
I haven't tried this recipe but if it tastes anything like it looks, I'm positive it will be fantastic as all your other recipes have been.
My wife Charity and I would really enjoy learning to make gnocchi at home. Your videos are great to learn from. We eagerly await the next.
Thanks again for your inspiration. Cooking is not a duty anymore, it's a pleasure.