Author Jo Pratt says: “We all need a few quick and easy weeknight suppers to rely on and this could soon become one of your regulars. It’s well worth keeping a bag of fresh gnocchi in the fridge for emergency suppers. Double up on quantities and make a couple of trays if you’ve an army of kids to feed. If you want to make it go even further serve with some garlic bread and a big green salad.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced
1 medium-large aubergine (eggplant), cut into bite-size chunks
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 x 400g/14 oz tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Handful chopped basil
450g/1 lb fresh gnocchi
200g/7 oz mozzarella
Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas 7.

Put the onion and aubergine in a roasting tray or baking dish big enough for them to sit in a single layer. Toss in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway for even cooking, until they are lightly golden.

Mix together the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic, sugar, balsamic, basil and 100ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup water.

Remove the tray from the oven and pour in the tomato mixture, add the gnocchi and stir around to coat in the sauce.

Tear the mozzarella into pieces and dot around the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and add a twist of pepper. Return the tray to the oven for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden.

Flexible

Upgrade: you can add a variety of ingredients to this to make it different every time you serve it. Add diced chorizo or spicy Italian sausage with the onions and aubergine (eggplant). Or add some chilli, olives, capers or anchovies to the sauce. I also like to scatter in some tinned flaked tuna or prawns when adding the gnocchi.

Veggie-lover: for added veggies, stir some spinach through the sauce or throw in a handful of green beans.

Cheese-lover: try a different cheese such as taleggio, ricotta, dolcelatte or a generous scattering of Parmesan. The options really are endless.

Extracted from The Flexible Family Cookbook by Jo Pratt (£20, White Lion Publishing).

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