Caramelized Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 16 ounces cherry tomatoes (buy 2 dry pints)
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound potato gnocchi, whole wheat or regular (or homemade, recipe here)
• 1 12 or 16-oz tub marinated baby mozzarella, drained*
• fresh basil, to garnish
• freshly grated parmesan, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Begin by chopping the tomatoes in half. (You will need about 1 1/2 boxes of tomatoes. No need to measure, just eyeball it.)
2. Clean and de-stem the basil, then chop roughly.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium saucepan and set to medium heat. Slice the garlic thinly. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and saute until it has started to brown lightly, about 1 minute. Add the halved tomatoes (and any juice) and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add most of the basil, reserving a few tablespoons to garnish with.
5. Add the sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat all the way down to low.
6. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, add the butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn the heat to medium. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add all the gnocchi. Stir with a wooden spoon to cover them with oil, then spread them out evenly so they are in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Set a timer for 5 minutes and do not stir. You want the gnocchi to caramelize and get nice and brown. After 5 or 6 minutes (whenever they have browned), use a wooden spoon or spatula to flip each gnocchi to brown the other side. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until browned, stirring again if necessary. Remove from heat.
7. Turn off the burner with the tomatoes. Add the drained mozzarella balls and stir. You want to heat up the mozzarella without melting them too much--they should retain their shape. (If the tomatoes are too hot, wait).
8. You can either add the fried gnocchi to the pan with the tomatoes, or spoon the gnocchi onto each plate and top with tomatoes and mozzarella.
9. Serve with a chopped basil leaves and grated Parmesan. Eat this with a big salad and some crusty bread.

Notes