We have a foodie crush on gnocchi, especially since discovering how good it is with our light tomato-butter sauce. So for our summer special we started with that simple-but-delicious premise and, to make the dish even more special, we added Italian fennel sausage, lots of summery basil and a big handful of fresh parmesan. Mmmm.

While gnocchi are technically more of a dumpling than a traditional pasta and are made with potatoes, flour and eggs, the dough rolled and cut into bite-size pieces and scored with a fork, then boiled. But they are often categorized with pastas, and we think that is just fine too…their tender, tasty texture lends itself beautifully to pasta sauces. For our traditional tomato-butter sauce, we sauté onions and garlic, add ripe tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, and enrich it with butter. It’s the perfect canvas for this wonderful dish!

To pair with the gnocchi we discovered a great summer red from the Valpolicella region, Monte Tondo Corvina 2021.  Corvina is the primary red variety of Valpolicella and makes a delightful pasta wine.  Its bright pomegranate fruit and light body makes it a perfect for the warmer weather, but it stands up really well to the bold flavors of tomatoes, sausage and basil.  Highly recommended for the season.

Buon appetito and see you this summer!

Susie Bashel