Artichoke hearts, olives and a splash of apple cider vinegar give this ultra-quick, healthy vegetarian gnocchi recipe pizzazz. For an additional hit of Mediterranean flavor, try topping with feta cheese.
After a tough windy long run Friday, I knew I needed something quick and easy for dinner. I was tired and to be honest, wasn’t too excited about spending more time on my feet cooking after an exhausting run. Recently my husband made a Trader Joes haul for me and brought home a few of my faves which was all the inspiration I needed for this dish.
What You Will Need to Make this Mediterranean Gnocchi
Every time we have the opportunity to stop at TJ’s, I always grab a few bags of frozen artichoke hearts. We also love their cauliflower and kale gnocchi. It’s a toss up which gnocchi I like better but tonight I went with the kale. I also love their organic tri-color bell peppers which I also used…about 1/3 of each color for this dish. He also brought home some kalamtta olives and rainbow grape tomatoes. So many colors! I was in heaven🥰 . Besides the items from TJ’s, I used a few of my pantry staples listed below.
- chickpeas ~ I love Jovial and I used one jar
- spinach ~ Fresh from the market this week
- red pepper flakes ~ Love a little spice but this is optional
- fresh herbs ~ They add so much flavor I used oregano
- apple cider vinegar ~ red wine vinegar or lemon juice would work as well
- Optional garnishes include fresh parmigiana or dairy free feta
This is seriously one of the simplest, prettiest, and tastiest vegetarian meals I have made in a long time. It comes together quickly and I promise, even the meat eaters in your family will love this! My husband had two helpings.
As for me, I love all the colors in this dish! I am thrilled to be back shopping at our local farmers market. Fresh spring produce definitely makes me happy and so does fresh veggies from our local farmers. I loaded up on fresh greens since I go through them so fast and there simply nothing better than fresh salad greens.
The my last minute decision to add fresh spinach to this dish was definitley a good call. One can never have too many greens, right friends😉. In fact, I bet this would be amazing served over a bed of spinach too.
The bottom line, if you are looking for a delicious, quick, and colorful plant based meal I have you covered😋. ENJOY!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 to 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 package Kale gnocchi (I used Trader Joes)
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1/3 of a large red, orange, and yellow bell pepper, diced
- 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
- 1 jar chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped (Trader Joes)
- 8 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red-wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cherry tomatoes and cook till they blister.
- Add kale gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and oregano; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and artichokes; cook, stirring, until hot, about 3 minutes. Stir in olives, vinegar, pepper and the gnocchi. Sprinkle with oregano, if desired.
- Top with your choice of fresh Parmigiana or dairy free feta.
Do you have a local farmer’s market near you?
How often do you eat plant based?
Do you have a Trader Joes near you and any faves you purchase on a regular basis?
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