Office Lunch: Beat the chill with this easy tomato gnocchi recipe

The Building to Electrification Coalition (B2E) is a Vancouver-based alliance pushing the province forward on low-carbon buildings. In a collaborative recipe book promoting the benefits of induction cooking, B2E asks five B.C. chefs to share some of their favourite recipes. This one from Vancouver firefighter and chef Michael Varga—who won a Chopped Canada contest in 2016 and competed on Master Chef Canada in 2018—is sure to keep you warm on cold workdays.

Ingredients

400 to 500 g of your favourite packaged gnocchi (or: see the recipe book linked below for instructions on making gnocchi from scratch)
450 g cherry tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
200 ml olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp kosher salt
120 ml heavy cream
50 ml pasta water
100 g pine nuts
4 tbsp butter, divided
Fresh parmesan, for garnish
Zest of 1 large lemon
Finishing salt to taste (Maldon recommended)

Method

In a pan, toast the pine nuts—tossing as needed—for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place the nuts aside. Chop fresh herbs and set aside.

Cut tomatoes in half, lengthwise. In the same pan, place tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt to taste and olive oil, reserving ¼ cup of the oil for the gnocchi. Bring to a simmer. Adjust heat to keep at a simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, add in ¼ cup olive oil and 2 tbsp kosher salt. Place gnocchi in boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.

In a preheated pan, add 2 tbsp of butter. Using a slotted spoon, remove gnocchi from water and place in your preheated pan with butter until it browns slightly and becomes crispy.

Remove half of the tomatoes from the oil with a slotted spoon, add to the gnocchi and toss. Add in cream and reduce by half. Add in the remaining butter and some pasta water and grate in the desired amount of fresh parmesan. Toss to coat.

Garnish with the basil, parsley, pine nuts, the extra tomatoes and lemon zest. Finish with a little more parmesan and finishing salt to taste.

TIPS:

• Save the oil from the tomatoes to use in other dishes! It’s now an infused olive oil.
• Add-ins: Toss in chorizo or Italian sausage! Grilled chicken or grilled prawns will work great, too. More cheese? Try burrata or feta.

Recipe from Induction Eats: Kitchen Inspirations from Five Gourmet Chefs.