The sound will bring me home again

These pictures are from our family lunch at Toulouse, my fav restaurant in Dallas.  Ah yummy yummy.  I also happened on this great recipe on a food blog and tried it out on my family.  I don't wanna brag or anything, but it was a hit :) Here's the recipe:


Gnocchi with pancetta, spinach, cherry tomatoes and toasted pumpkin seeds


500 g pre-made gnocchi
4 slices mild pancetta or bacon, cut into strips
10 large leaves spinach
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup pumpkin seeds toasted
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil, add a dash of olive oil and a good pinch of salt then add in the pre-cooked gnocchi. Continue to cook until the gnocchi rise to the top of the water then remove with a slotted spoon, drain and add to a large frying pan in while you have warmed 2 tbsp olive oil. Toss the gnocchi in the oil and cook over medium heat until the outsides are crisp and golden, stir the gnocchi often whilst frying so as to avoid it sticking together. Remove from the heat and set aside.


Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the large frying pan and cook the pancetta or bacon until cooked and crispy, adding spinach at end. Drain on paper towel and toss the cherry tomatoes into the same pan, adding a tbsp of olive oil if you wish. Cook for 5 minutes seasoning with salt and black pepper then add the bacon back into the pan along with the gnocchi. Toss all together to combine. Turn out onto a serving platter, squeeze lemon juice all over gnocchi and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over platter. Season again with salt and pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter the top with a generous amount of fresh parmesan shavings. Serve with crusty bread.

Title from East Harlem by Beirut.