As I’ve mentioned in {previous posts}, I’m not a big seafood fan.  But being desperate to not pass that on to my girls, my husband makes some kind of seafood for dinner at least once a week.  I would really hate to deprive them of the health benefits of fish, so I don’t mind that they eat without me every once in a while.  It’s usually on those nights that I get to whip up my own dishes that the rest of the family would probably be less than thrilled about, which is actually kind of nice!  It’s also on those nights that I get to do some experimenting and trial runs of meals before I make them for the rest of the family.

So, they can eat their seafood.  Doesn’t hurt my feelings at all.  Especially when dishes like this come out of my kitchen.  Because this one is tasty.  And tonight, I think they were jealous.

This is gnocchi with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce.  It’s infused with the flavors of fresh basil, white wine and roasted red peppers – with pops of diced tomatoes and little gnocchi pillows – I was in complete and total heaven.  It’s a totally decadent dish, but the tomatoes and fresh basil lighten it up a bit so the sauce isn’t quite as heavy as it looks.

Have you had gnocchi before?  It’s a potato pasta, more like a dumpling than traditional pasta.  They puff up into light, airy pillows and fabulously marry with any sauce you decide to pair them with.  I usually buy it fresh from the deli at my grocery store, but you can also find it in vacuum packs on the store shelves.  Don’t buy the gnocchi-shaped pasta, it’s not the same thing.

Definitely use fresh basil, it’s imperative for that fresh flavor, and you can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned once tomatoes come back in season.  My local natural foods store has a great pre-made Alfredo sauce which I bought on a whim last weekend, so I just used that. Otherwise, you can always make your own Alfredo or just use your favorite jarred sauce.  Serve this with a big hunk of crusty bread and some white wine and have yourself a nice little dinner!  The best part?  If you use pre-made Alfredo, you can have this meal on the table in under 40 minutes!

Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Yield:  4 servings
Prep Time:  10 minutes ♦ Cook Time:  25 minutes ♦ Total Time:  35 minutes

Tuscan Cream Sauce Ingredients:
1 package fresh gnocchi (found in your deli section of the grocery store.)
2 cups alfredo sauce (jarred or homemade, just use your favorite.  I bought some from my local natural foods store so I used that)
1 14-15oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup white wine
Pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons Fresh chopped basil, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup grated Parmagiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine alfredo sauce, salt and wine.  Stir until combined, and barely simmering.  Add heavy cream, tomatoes and roasted red pepper and stir to combine.  Bring to a light simmer and remove from heat.  Stir in grated cheese and fresh basil.  Set aside and prepare gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain gnocchi and stir into prepared sauce.

Garnish with more grated cheese and fresh basil.  Enjoy!

Recipe source and inspiration:  Inspired by this recipe at All Recipes