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Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce in Thai Style
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
I used to think I was such an unfortunate person. First, I am noodle junkie, and second, carbohydrate is my comfort food. I love the softness of food that made from starch and a slight sweetness of carbohydrates that turns to sugar when it mixes with our saliva. But I do not have that thought about myself anymore since I have found so many products that made from complex carbohydrate like brown rice, whole grain, etc.
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
I have shared some of my noodles and pasta recipes with you all lately but not gnocchi. This post is my first gnocchi recipe in life. I was first introduced the gnocchi at an Italian restaurant, and it was the gnocchi soup. I fell in love with the smooth and silky texture of gnocchi. It tasted like a heaven. It was so soft that I did not need to chew it at all. Yes, I love the tender feeling of the food like babies, but I also love to add some spices into my food. A good combination isn't it?
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
The inspiration for the recipe
It is such a misfortune that most of the Italian restaurant do not carry a whole wheat or whole grain pasta. Thus I have to limit myself and indulge inthe gooey gnocchi until we find the "whole wheat gnocchi." I went on my computer and looked for gnocchi recipe that I would like to cook, and I would love to shout out for Foodiecrush; she has a fantastic recipe that inspired me to make the Thai version of it.
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
About the recipe, how do I adapt/change to make it healthier
I changed some of the ingredients in the recipe to put the Thai flavor in it, but I still keep it simple as it is. According to the Foodiecrush recipe, she has a heavy cream in the ingredients as an optional; but I still wanted to have some creamy taste in the recipe. Therefore, I chose to use coconut milk; it does not contain any cholesterol and has fewer calories and fat than heavy cream. Btw, coconut milk has been debated if it is good or bad for our health.
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
Coconut milk contains a high amount of saturated fat as cow's milk. As we know that saturated fat is not good for our health; it can contribute to the heart disease. One thing that makes the saturated fat in coconut milk better than cow's milk is our bodies tend to use up the fatty acids of coconut milk faster than the cow's milk thus it is less likely to be stored as fat in the liver. However, we still need to control the consumption of it probably once or twice a week.
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
I also added some curry powder and ground turmeric in the recipe for the unique Asian aroma, taste, and a health benefit. Curry powder is good for asthma, and turmeric is one of the best anti-inflammation agents in the world. It was so good; it was like I put two greatest cuisines in the world in one pan. Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce is a very mild curry. It is just a little bit spicy with the sweetness of San Marzano tomatoes plus the scent of curry powder and ground turmeric. The recipe is good for the whole family especially if you want to introduce your child/children to the Asian cuisine.
Gnocchi with Thai Tomato-Curry Sauce
- • 16 oz. whole wheat gnocchi
- • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese cherry size, cut half
- • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- • 28 oz. whole peel San Marzano tomatoes
- • ¼ cup coconut milk
- • ¼ cup olive oil
- • 3 -4 stems fresh basil
- • 15 stems cilantro
- • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- • 4 minced fresh garlic
- • ¼ teaspoon red chili flake
- • ½ teaspoon curry powder
- • 1 teaspoon grounded turmeric
- • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- • ¼ teaspoon grounded black pepper
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan.
- Put basil, and cilantro stems into a hot oil and cook them for 5 minutes.
- Remove the basil and cilantro from the saucepan.
- Add minced garlic and diced onion and cook for 7 minutes or until the onion is transparent.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hand and put them and the tomato sauce into the saucepan.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Add curry powder, turmeric, and red chili flakes into the saucepan and follow with the coconut milk.
- Turn the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes.
- Cook the gnocchi while waiting for the sauce.
- Drop the cooked gnocchi into the saucepan and follow with Mozzarella cheese balls and top with grated parmesan cheese.
- Let it cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve when it is still hot.
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