Sicilian Gnocchi with Eggplant

gnocchi. gnocchi. gnocchi.

there is just something about that word that can make a girls heart just crumble. the thought of those pillowy balls of pasta potato dressed in some delicious outfits...they really can be the life of the party.

although i am not at the homemade gnocchi place in my life yet (but soon!), i have found some super duper tasty things to do with gnocchi. I've think we've had fun with two gnocchi dishes before with the Fire Roasted Gnocchi the Lemon Gnocchi from a while back but for this dish, I thought I would take it "Sicilian Style".

I really had no idea what this meant but the blog that I adapted it from made it look delicious and super vegetarian, so I was all in.

Adapted from: Vegalicious

Ingredients

• 1 package gnocchi (shelf stable...can be found at most local grocery markets)
  
• 1 eggplant, cubed in small pieces
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 Cup of small cubed tofu
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can tomato chunks
• 2 handfuls raisins (yes, even I...the girl who doesn't like raisins...put raisins in the dish)
  
• Italian seasonings (oregano, basil, thyme)...whatever you have in your fridge/cupboard
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of Cinnamon
  
• Pinch of Nutmeg
  

Directions

1. Boil the Gnocchi and boil until they float to the top.
   
2. Drain the Gnocchi from the water and set aside.
   
3. Meanwhile, saute the eggplant, onions and garlic in the oil until the eggplant begins to soften and the onion becomes glassy.
4. Add the ground tofu.
   
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, raisins and Italian seasonings.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
   
7. To serve, either add the gnocchi to the sauce, or serve the gnocchi with the sauce on top.
8. Share and Enjoy!!!
   

I really enjoyed this dish and it was really easy to make and really delicious. I love finding individuals who are dedicated to finding filling, healthy and tasty vegetarian meals...that are also well-balanced! it is a hard task but this definitely fits the bill and I would definitely make this again!

Actually Posted: 12/29/10
Made: 10/12/2010