Roast Gnocchi with Lemon & Fennel Pork
Clock Image
Total: 55 mins
Fill a roasting tin with tender gnocchi, sweet courgette and cherry tomatoes, add a mouth-watering mix of pork mince, fennel seeds, chilli, garlic and lemon, and let your oven work some magic while you toast a crunchy breadcrumb topping to serve.
This recipe is a:
See this week's box.
Recipe Box Recipe Main Image
678 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 chilli (optional)
  • 500g pork mince
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 red onions
  • 2 courgettes
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 x 400g gnocchi
  • 50g rocket
  • A handful of flat leaf parsley, leaves only
  • 50g breadcrumbs
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2½ tbsp olive oil
You'll need
  • Large baking tray or roasting tin
  • Frying pan
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Peel and finely grate the garlic into a large bowl. Finely grate in the lemon zest. Finely chop the chilli (if using), halving it and flicking out the seeds first if you prefer less heat. Add to the bowl along with the pork mince, 2 tsp fennel seeds and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix the pork with the flavourings. Set to one side.

  • 2.

    Peel and thinly slice the red onions. Trim the courgettes and chop them into 1cm-thick dice. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

  • 3.

    Add the veg and the gnocchi to a large baking tray or roasting tin lined with baking paper. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil, add a good pinch of salt and pepper and toss everything to coat.

  • 4.

    Crumble over the pork mince in bite-sized pieces – the chunks of pork don’t all have to be the same size, just not too big. Having different sizes will give different textures. The veg, meat and gnocchi should all overlap a bit in the tin.

  • 5.

    Slide the tin into the oven and roast for 20 mins. After 20 mins, remove the tin from the oven and gently turn everything over. Slide back into the oven for a further 15 mins.

  • 6.

    While the pork and gnocchi roast, put a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add ½ tbsp olive oil, the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring, for 2-3 mins till the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Take off the heat and set aside.

  • 7.

    Cut the zested lemon into wedges. Divide the rocket between 4 warm plates. Remove the tin from the oven. The gnocchi and veg should be tender and crisp in places. The meat should be cooked through, with some pieces dark and crisp and others soft and lightly browned. Divide the meat, veg and gnocchi between the plates of rocket. Top with torn parsley leaves, the toasted breadcrumbs and a good crack of black pepper. Serve with wedges of lemon on the side.

  • Tip

    Room For 2?
    The gnocchi, veg and poirk don't have to be in a single layer on the tray to bake evenly in this recipe, but if things are looking crowded and are 2-3cm deep, then divide the ingredients between 2 trays. The tray on the lower shelf in the oven may need a little longer to cook, so swap them over halfway through.

  • Tip

    Get Ahead
    You can make the pork mince mixture up to 24 hrs in advance. Follow the instructions in step 1, then cover and pop into the fridge until you are ready to cook.