Smoked Ham Fried Gnocchi With Pesto, Peppers, & Asiago + Blistered Tomatoes

Sunday night pasta just got a well-deserved makeover.

Day 8 of my “12 Days of Christmas” recipes calls for a big bowl of comfort food, and for me, that’s pasta. Specifically, gnocchi — the best type of pasta to ever exist. I’ve probably mentioned it many times before, so I don’t need to go into detail about my affinity for the little potato dumplings, but just know I could go on about them for days if I had to.

If your fridge looks anything like ours does right now, this recipe is calling your name; by that I mean a fridge packed with smoked and honey baked hams gifted to us for the holidays. If you’re getting tired of ham sandwiches, this recipe is another way to switch it up a bit. I originally intended on this recipe to be made with pancetta but it is IMPOSSIBLE to find in my town, so all of that extra ham really came in handy. If you’d prefer pancetta or bacon over ham, those will both work, as well. Prosciutto will also work, but it will get a little crispier than the others.

Recently, I’ve been trying to create quick and easy dinners using just a few dishes, since the majority of the time I get a little carried away with ingredients and cookware, and by the time I’m done cooking, the kitchen is completely destroyed. Not exaggerating - just ask my dad. Fortunately, this is one of those quick and easy meals that calls for only 2 pots and a handful of ingredients.

As simple as it is, this dish actually packs a punch-load of flavor. The ham lends a fatty, salty, smoky, the pesto adds a little freshness and earthiness, the Calabria peppers adds a fruity, spicy, salty bite, and the nutty asiago makes it all cheesy and delicious.

Oh, and the blistered tomatoes add an extra smoky and acidity bite on the side, but they’re really delish to cut and mix into the dish as you eat it.

Before we get into the recipe, let’s talk about Calabria peppers for a minute. I first discovered them when I was making a Bachelorette themed charcuterie board for the premier of Hannah Brown’s season, pictured here:

Anyway, I bought them solely because they were red, but they ended up being a HUGE hit on the board. Typically used in Italian cooking, Calabrian Chili Peppers are one of the most flavorful peppers I think I’ve ever tasted. They’re salty at first bite, then ever-so-slightly sweet and fruity, and then you get hit with the spice at the end. Needless to say, if you’ve never tried them before, you need to get your hands on them ASAP.

Okay, now for the recipe.

Smoked Ham Fried Gnocchi with Pesto, Calabrian Peppers, & Asiago + Blistered Tomatoes

Serves 4

• 16 oz package uncooked gnocchi

• 3/4 cup diced smoked ham (honey-baked also works)

• 5 Calabrian chili peppers in oil, roughly chopped

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 shallot bulb, very thinly sliced into strips

• 4 tbs. olive oil, separated

• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. black pepper, plus extra for topping

• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese, plus extra for topping

• 1/3 cup basil pesto (I used store-bought this time, but here’s one of my recipes for pesto)

• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional but delish)

• 2 Roma tomatoes or 4 Campari tomatoes (if using Roma, cut in half - if using Campari, keep whole)

• 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to broil.

In a large skillet or braiser, heat 2 tbs. of the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and shallots with the salt and pepper until slightly golden. Add in the diced ham and let cook down until caramelized and a good amount of the fat from the ham has come off, stirring occasionally.

While that is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the gnocchi, once boiling. The gnocchi will be ready once it floats to the top. DO NOT let it cook any longer after it floats to the top. With a hand held strainer or a slotted ladle, scoop the gnocchi out of the pot and into the skillet with the ham. Over medium-high heat, add in the sherry and pesto and gently toss to combine. Let the sherry cook off and the gnocchi start to turn golden. Top with the grated asiago, stir lightly, and scoot the gnocchi over to one side of the pan. Add the tomatoes to the other side, drizzle with the remaining 2 tbs. olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Move the pan under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, the gnocchi is golden brown, and the tomatoes have blistered.

Remove from the oven and top with extra grated asiago, toasted pine nuts, a sprinkle of black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.