Creamy Harissa Gnocchi

This simple Creamy Hariss Gnocchi is a tasty midweek meal for the family that’s no fuss. It’s a dish that’s ready in under 30 minutes and takes very little effort at all. We’re using store-bought Gnocchi to save time and the results are amazing! The Creamy Harissa Sauce is a beautifully flavored, lightly spiced sauce that brings to life the Potato Gnocchi. Served with a more-than-generous portion of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, it’ll be a hit with the family, and great for an easy meal to cook during a busy week

What makes this dish special is the amazing Harissa Sauce

Harissa is one of those ingredients that should be used more. It’s spicy, slightly sweet flavor enriches every dish it goes into, and is so easy to use. You can buy Harissa Paste at most grocery stores these days, and we recommend everyone have some in your pantry / refrigerator

It’s a Chili Paste originating from North Africa, however despite its rich red color, is only slightly spicy, making it the perfect ingredient to use when cooking for the family. It adds a load of flavor to dishes with its blend of spices including Smoked Paprika, Cumin, and Coriander Seeds, but never seems to completely overpower a dish

For our Creamy Harissa Gnocchi, it’s combined with Heavy Cream, Butter, Parsley, Lemon Juice, and Parmesan Cheese to make the most luscious, delicious sauce that coats the Gnocchi. The Harissa will give this sauce its beautiful color, making the Creamy Harissa Gnocchi a striking-looking plate of food

How to make Creamy Harissa Gnocchi

As we mentioned in the intro, we use store-bought Gnocchi which will dramatically decrease the time needed to make this meal. Simply boil the Gnocchi for about 3 minutes until tender and then transfer them to a bowl to dry out a bit

Reserve about ¼ cup of that Pasta Water to add to the sauce later on in the recipe. By adding Pasta Water, you are returning that wonderful starchy, glutenous liquid to the dish, which helps to thicken the sauce and give it a luscious texture

Next step, melt some Butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot and slightly browned, add the Gnocchi and fry for a few minutes on one side until golden-brown. This step not only gives the Gnocchi a beautiful texture, but infuses it with that wonderful nutty flavor of melted Butter

Once the Gnocchi has browned it’s time to build the Sauce

The Sauce is a very simple one to make, as it is a Cream based sauce that’s cooked down with the delicious Harissa Paste until thick and luscious. So, simply add the Heavy Cream, Harissa Paste and begin to lightly simmer it

About 7 – 8 minutes in, add about ¼ cup of the Pasta Water to the pan and stir it all through. Continue to simmer for another 7 – 8 minutes and the Sauce should beautifully coat the Gnocchi. At this point, remove everything from the heat and finish off the dish with Lemon Juice, freshly chopped Parsley, and a generous amount of grated Parmesan Cheese

Give it a taste for seasoning and adjust if you need to, then serve it all up. I like to serve this Creamy Harissa Gnocchi dish in individual bowls and allow people to grate / add more Parmesan Cheese to the dish before they eat

If you want to go all-out, try making your own Gnocchi from scratch

While we’re keeping things simple in this recipe by recommending you use store-bought Gnocchi, you can make your own Gnocchi from scratch. It is going to taste better, but it will take some time. Carve out at least an additional 1.5 hours to make the Gnocchi

Gnocchi is simply a dough that’s made by mixing equal parts cooked Potato with All-Purpose Flour. You will need to boil the Potatoes until they are tender and easily mashed, and then allow them to cool before mixing with the Flour

Once the dough is formed, roll it into long snake-like strips on a large flat surface. Then, simply cut the dough into individual Gnocchi sized portions and dust them with a little more flour to avoid them sticking. Throw them straight into a pot of boiling water (not at all at once, definitely batch cook) and cook for 1 ½ minutes or so, or until the Gnocchi float to the surface

Strain the Gnocchi from the water and then pan-fry in butter for 4 – 5 minutes until they begin to brown on one side and they’re done. Making your own homemade Gnocchi is well worth it if you can find the time. However, using store-bought Gnocchi works great for a tasty weeknight dinner

Creamy Harissa Gnocchi Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g / 17 oz. Store-bought Gnocchi
• 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 1 ½ tbsp. Harissa Paste
• ¾ cup of Heavy Cream
• ¾ cup of fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Place the Gnocchi in a large pot of Salted Boiling Water and cook for 3 minutes until tender. Remove Gnocchi from water and set aside, reserving ¼ cup of the Water
2. Melt Butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat, then add the Gnocchi and fry until browned (about 5 minutes)
3. Drop the heat to medium then add Harissa Paste, Heavy Cream, and ½ tsp. of Salt. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding the reserved Pasta Water about halfway through
4. Once the Sauce has thickened add the Parsley, Lemon Juice, and Parmesan Cheese and stir through. Taste for seasoning and serve with some additional grated Parmesan Cheese on top
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can prepare fresh Gnocchi for this recipe, which we explain earlier on in this article
• For even more bright flavors, try adding some Sage Leaves to the Butter as it melts. It’s a classic combination for Gnocchi and tastes wonderful
  
  

This simple and delicious Creamy Harissa Gnocchi is the perfect midweek meal to feed a hungry family. It’s easy to prepare, takes no time at all, and tastes amazing. It’s well worth trying and adding to your home cooking arsenal

For more delicious family friendly meals just like this one, check out these tasty recipes:

• Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
• Creamy Sausage and Leek Pasta
• Halal Cart Chicken
• Baked Salmon with Lemon and Leeks
  
  

Happy Cooking!