My son, who has a keen interest in sports, learnt the basics of badminton from another little girl who is super awesome at it. And we end up playing each day.

He is now learning basketball from 2 other little girls, who are again super awesome at it. And he is now beginning to wait to play it each evening.

He in turn has been teaching them football.

Why am I sharing this? Because we are ushering in a new, new generation.

And it fills my heart with joy and pride – for the little girls who could well become the sports stars of the future in their respective games. And for my little boy who loves to learn the games without a shred of hesitation or wonder about why it is the girls who are playing these games so well and teaching him.

Because both sets of children know what it is to love a sport without worrying about gender. And both sets are open to playing either role – that of a learner, that of a teacher. Depending on what they are good at.

And because I was so thrilled that day, I decided to bake something different for dinner – the Tomato Gnocchi Bake.

I absolutely love dinners like this – when everything is made from scratch and comes together beautifully. For this Tomato and Gnocchi Bake 

I made the gnocchi from scratch and the sauce too. Neither was store bought. 
It took a while to ensure that the gnocchi turned out fine since this was the first time I was making it. But I know I am going to bake this dish again. 

Soft pillowy gnocchi in a rich tomato and basil sauce. No processed cheese added , no refined white flour. Just wholesome clean food.

Ingredients –

For the gnocchi –

• 4-5 mid sized potatoes ( boiled)
• 1 cup of wholewheat flour
• 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of rosemary
• 1 egg, lightly beaten ( for an eggless version you can add 1-2 tbsp of oil to make the dough moist)

Mash the potatoes well so that they are not lumpy. Mix the flour with the salt and rosemary. Add the egg to the potatoes first and bring together. Then add the flour-spice mixture. Mix gently with your hands to bring the dough together. Transfer it to a floured surface. Knead slowly, but do not overmix. Leave it aside for 30 minutes, to rest. Then take a portion of it, roll it like a thin rope on a floured surface. Cut small pieces with a knife to make the small gnocchi. Boil water with a pinch of salt and put the gnocchi into it. It is cooked through when it starts rising to the surface.

Click on the below link to have a look at the process.

Once gnocchi is ready you can set it aside. Make sure to cool it off well else it will become gluggy or stick to each other.

The tomato sauce I made is a simple one – in 1 tbsp oil, put 1 chopped spring onion. Add about 2-3 mid sized tomatoes that have been chopped well. Add basil, salt and pepper and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes.

Put the gnocchi in the baking dish, spoon the sauce over it so that it is coated well. Bake in a preheated over for 15-20 minutes at 160 degrees C.

Serve hot.