Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for crispy baked gnocchi puttanesca

This dish takes the classic elements of a puttanesca — anchovies, capers, olives and tomatoes — and turns them into a rich sauce for gnocchi, which are then topped with mozzarella, breadcrumbs and parmesan and briefly grilled. It’s exactly what you want on a rainy night.

My sauce‑averse toddler thought it smelled so good she stole half my plate and suggested using the sauce as a pizza topping next time. I’ve non‑canonically added small cubes of aubergine; they melt into the sauce while adding extra plant matter. To make this vegetarian, omit the anchovies, add an extra spoon of capers and use a vegetarian parmesan.

Prep 15 min Cook 30 min Serves 2 adults and 2 small children.

gnocchi, puttanesca, anchovies, capers, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, breadcrumbs, aubergine