Date Night Gnocchi with Red Pepper & Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Golden, Tender, Made for Two

Some meals are less about hunger and more about intention. This is one of them — a dish built around the quiet pleasure of cooking for someone you want to sit across from. The pesto comes together unhurriedly, earthy and sun-warmed, while the gnocchi take on a gentle golden crust in the pan. A fried egg, crisp at the edges and soft at the center, completes it. There's something tender about a recipe that serves exactly two. It knows what it is, and it doesn't need to be anything more.

Ingredients

• 1 package Alessi Gnocchi
• 1 12 oz jar Alessi Red Peppers, drained
• 1/4 cups Alessi Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil
• 2 tablespoons Alessi Pine Nuts, lightly toasted
• 1/2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Alessi Mixed Peppercorns
• Alessi Mediterranean Sea Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Alessi Balsamic Reduction (for finishing)
• 3 tablespoons Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface.
3. Drain well and set aside.
4. In a food processor or blender, combine the red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, salt and pepper, and honey.
5. Pulse until roughly blended, not completely smooth.
6. The slight crunch from the pine nuts is essential!
7. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
9. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the edges of the egg are crispy and the whites are cooked through.
10. Set aside.
11. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat.
12. Add the gnocchi in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sauté until golden brown on both sides.
13. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and divide between two bowls.
14. Top with a generous spoonful of the pesto, followed by the fried egg, a couple grinds of pepper and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction.