This Middle Eastern mash up is a mix of one of my favourite Turkish kebabs, the mighty Iskender – a wicked invention of thinly sliced lamb sat on soft pita, covered in a rich tomato sauce and yogurt – and beautifully crispy, pan-fried gnocchi. The gnocchi stand up so well against the big flavour of the tomato sauce and yogurt. The best bit, you can have this from fridge to fork in about 10-15 minutes depending on how much time you are playing on Instagram. Win. Obviously, this is using shop bought gnocchi rather than making them from scratch. Something I don’t have the patience for at the best of times.
Method
- Cook the gnocchi according to packet instructions. Drain and set to one side in the colander for a few minutes to dry.
- Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the gnocchi and season with salt. Toss in the butter and then cook for about 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy on one side.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and oregano. Mix well. Pour in the passata and add the tomato puree and a good pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes until hot.
- Swirl the yogurt onto two serving plates and top with the gnocchi. Spoon over the tomato sauce and scatter over the parsley leaves. Add an extra pinch of Turkish pepper flakes if you like heat and drizzle over a little oil. Grab a spoon and tuck in.
Ingredients
Serves 2
500g fresh gnocchi
30g butter
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp Turkish pepper flakes or chilli flakes, plus extra for garnish
½ tsp dried oregano
160g tomato passata
1 tbsp tomato puree
200g Greek yogurt
A small handful of finely chopped parsley leaves
Sea salt
