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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.
“Just cooked this for the first time. Absolutely mouthwatering and very easy. I bought gnocchi from Sainsbury’s and instructions said not to boil, but to fry in butter, which I did. Awesome recipe, definitely do again, and again, and again!”
Nicky’s Notes
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!
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for Harissa Gnocchi
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
- 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.
Note on 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.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Crisp up the chorizo in a splash of oil, then lift it out and cook the onions, peppers and garlic in the gorgeous chorizo oil. Season, stir in the harissa, tomato purée, coconut milk and cherry tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes while you cook the gnocchi. Add the gnocchi back in with the chorizo and spinach, then toss until hot and the spinach has just wilted.
Recipe Tips
- You don’t need much oil when frying the chorizo as it release its own oils as it cooks.
- 👩🍳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.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItIngredient spotlight: Harissa
Ok so what actually is harissa?
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.
🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to serve it topped with a little black pepper, parsley and a few chilli flakes.
- Homemade Garlic Bread or chunks of Artisan Bread to soak up the sauce.
- Or with a Simple Green Salad or butter lettuce salad on the side
So much flavour in every bite!
My question to you now is…. Are you interested in different gnocchi flavours?
Let me know in the comments below 😊
Can I use homemade gnocchi?
Want to make this harissa gnocchi dish with homemade gnocchi? I have a post on how to make gnocchi from scratch. Hint, its easier than you might think.
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📺 Watch how to make it
Gnocchi with Chorizo and Creamy Harissa Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp neutral oil (I like to use avocado 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 for US
- 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.1 tsp neutral oil
- Add the chorizo and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the chorizo starts to release its oils.150 g (5.3 oz) diced chorizo
- 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.1 small onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black 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.1 ½ tbsp harissa paste, 1 tbsp tomato puree
- Add the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.200 ml (7 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk, 150 g (5.3 oz) cherry (grape) tomatoes
- 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.500 g (17.6 oz) fresh gnocchi
- Once the gnocchi is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and place it directly in the frying pan with the sauce.
- Add the spinach and the chorizo you cooked earlier.60 g (2 packed cups) baby spinach
- Stir together and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.
- Serve topped with chilli flakes, black pepper, and fresh parsley.chilli flakes, black pepper, freshly chopped parsley
Video
Notes
Don’t want it spicy?
Use mild chorizo and replace the harissa with the same amount of tomato puree, mixed with a good pinch each of smoked paprika, garlic salt, cumin and ground coriander. It won’t give you quite the same flavour, but it works great for anyone with a milder palate.Can I make it ahead?
This dish tastes best when cooked and eaten right away, but it does still taste good when reheated.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).
How to scale up and scale down this recipe
Double or halve this recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios.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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This chorizo gnocchi recipe was first posted in Feb 2022. Updated since with recipe improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
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I made this as written using the alternate for harissa as I couldn’t find it spontaneously. There was no coconut flavor which I worried might be distracting. The whole thing comes together nicely and I recommend it to anyone looking.
Just cooked this for the first time. Absolutely mouthwatering and very easy. I bought gnocchi from Sainsbury’s and instructions said not to boil, but to fry in butter, which I did. Awesome recipe, definitely do again, and again, and again!
I have made this twice now. Once with the harissa and once with the suggested spices to use when you don’t have harissa. I live that I can use vegan chorizo and it makes the entire meal vegan. Yum! Definitely in our regular rotation now. Thanks!
I made this without meat, basically because I realized the store sold me expired chorizo. Even without the extra flavors of chorizo, it was delicious. I also used a harissa seasoning blend and added water and rose water to make a paste. That worked just fine. Medium spice level. I’m sure it would have been even better if I made this as written, but it was still delicious with my substitutions. It came together pretty quickly. Would make again.
My girlfriend died with pleasure after just one small-ish bowl of this…tasty and very filling.
(Also used your home made gnocchi recipe for the gnocchis). Thankyou 🙂
Lovely, tasty recipe, although we prefer it with less harissa and served with pasta instead of gnocchi.