Pesto Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage

This weekend Jourdan came to visit from Orlando and we went to the Incubus concert in Tampa. It was the best live show I've ever seen. Great set list (although I was hoping for "Make Yourself"), great performance and energy. Anyhoo... we were hanging on the couch talking recipes and Jourdan was telling me she had made one of the Everyday with Rachael Ray recipes and how delicious it was. I decided to give it a shot. Pesto Gnocchi for dinner! I figured after talking so much about it I didn't need the recipe I could "Wing It"... well according to Jourdan, my picture didn't look ANYTHING like it was supposed to... it tasted delicious though!

Pesto Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:

2 medium tomatoes, sliced into thick slices

2 drizzles of extra virgin olive oil

2 drizzles of balsamic vinegar

1 pinch sugar

salt & pepper

2 swirls extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 links of fresh hot italian chicken sausage, remove casing

1 package of gnocchi

1 cup milk

3 tblspoons pesto

handful of parmesan

salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. In a medium bowl, mix together EVOO, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Marinate tomatoes while waiting for oven to preheat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray. Lay tomatoes out in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until soft and "roasty looking".

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add gnocchi and boil for 3 - 4 minutes. Drain and set a aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium with 2 swirls of EVOO. Add garlic and sausage and break up sausage while browning. If you can't find links of italian chicken sausage, look for bulk italian chicken sausage or if you like pork, then use that. This recipe would be delish with chopped chicken breasts and add in italian seasoning. Or don't add any meat and have a veggie dish instead.

Once the sausage is browned up nice, add the gnocchi and toast them up a little. Lower heat to low/medium and add about half of the milk to loosen up the bits on the bottom. Add pesto and stir to combine. Season and taste. Add more milk to control how "saucy it is". The sauce should me smooth and thick, not runny, unless you like it runny...  Add roasted tomatoes and break up a bit in mixing. Add parmesan and stir until melted.  I like to garnish with a little parm and serve with garlic bread (or cheat and pop some texas toast in instead). 

Eggplant Parmesan

I absolutely love Eggplant Parm... actually I absolutely love MY recipe. I don't know if it's the serious extent I take the seasoning or if I've just been disappointed too many times by soggy slimey restaurant attempts.


I love how the eggplant melts in your mouth and the salty crunchy combination of the breading... I prefer a little bit of sweet marinara on top and a little mixed in with the pasta. And of course a nice nutty parmesan is key! 


I tell myself that even though it's technically a fried dish... I get extra points for it being a fried vegetable!


I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Eggplant Parm

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant or 2 smaller ones (cut into similar sized circles or crescents)

2 eggs (beaten with a tiny bit of water)

breadcrumbs

salt & pepper

garlic powder

dried parsley

vegetable oil

1 handful thin spaghetti

1/2 a jar of good marinara

pinch of sugar

garlic powder

shredded parmesan

Prep work: 

You'll need the usual breading station set up. A bowl for the eggs, a bowl for the breadcrumbs and large plate or baking sheet for the breaded eggplant. Also you'll want a baking sheet to put the fried eggplants on, once you're done frying you can sprinkle with parm and pop in the oven to melt cheese.

Directions:

Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper and the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley. Dip cut up eggplant into the egg mixture and then into breadcrumbs. Get your water boiling for your pasta and start heating up the oil. You'll know the oil is hot enough by dropping a few drops of water in and if they sizzle up immediately, you're good to go.

Add pasta to water. Pour marinara in small sauce pan and season with a little sugar and some garlic powder. Heat on low.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and place back into the same pot, add just enough sauce to coat pasta nicely.

Fry the eggplant in batches, flipping when brown.

Once you're done frying, sprinkle parmesan on top of eggplants and pop under the broiler for a just a minute or two so that the cheese melts. 

Plate pasta and eggplants. Spoon marinara over eggplant and sprinkle with a little more cheese. DELISH!