Thanks to our hearty spiced beef and tomato sauce, this dish has all the makings of classic, wintry comfort food. It’s the perfect match for soft, warm gnocchi and tender bites of zucchini—all finished with a sprinkle of tangy pecorino cheese.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 10 oz Ground Beef
- 3/4 lb Gnocchi
- 2 Garlic
- 1 Zucchini
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Mascarpone Cheese Or Crème Fraîche
- 1/4 c Grated Pecorino Cheese
- 1 tbsp Sambal Oelek
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
Fill a medium pot with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the zucchini; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic.
Brown the zucchini:
In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced zucchini in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
Cook the beef & make the sauce:
In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Carefully drain off and discard any excess oil. Add the chopped garlic, tomato paste, and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and the beef is cooked through. Add the browned zucchini and 3/4 cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Turn off the heat.
Cook the gnocchi:
While the beef cooks, add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gnocchi float to the top of the pot. Drain thoroughly.
Finish & serve your dish:
Add the cooked gnocchi and mascarpone cheese or crème fraîche to the pan of cooked beef and zucchini. Stir to thoroughly combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished beef and gnocchi garnished with the pecorino cheese. Enjoy!