I really appreciate a really quick dinner that is also a one pot and this is one of those. I’m really lucky as I go on holiday twice a year I manage to get all my herbs from the med. these ones are from Greece and are all wild in the hills and mountains. To be fair though jarred herbs would work perfectly well too. I think fennel and pork go so well together. It’s another one of those classic combinations. I used my squash gnocchi, earlier I in the year I made a big batch and frozen in down in portions for 2, it’s so easy just to grab one out of the freezer. This dish is mostly store cupboard apart from the mince.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 18 pieces or 1/2 a pack gnocchi, I used my squash gnocchi
• 500g lean pork mince
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1 large banana shallot, peeled and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 300ml or chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• Grated Parmesan to finish
• 1 tbsp Oil for frying

Directions

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add your gnocchi and simmer until the float to the top. Drain and set aside.
2. In a bowl add the pork mince and all the other ingredients above the shallots. Give it a good mix so all the ingredients combine nicely. I use my hands so I can squeeze all the herbs and spices through the mince.
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil in a large frying pan or casserole dish. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the mince and brown for about 5 minutes, breaking the pork mince as you go so there isn’t any clumps.
4. Add the stock and tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve between 2 bowls. Finish off with some grated Parmesan and enjoy. 😊