Gnocchi casserole with minced meat

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g gnocchi
• 500 g minced beef
• 1 pack of tomatoes, pureed
• 100 g cream cheese spread
• e.g. Parmesan, grated
• possibly olive oil, for frying
• salt and pepper
• Cumin, ground
• oregano
• Thyme
• rosemary
• basil

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

with a vegetarian version with vegetables

Prepare the gnocchi according to the package instructions. Fry the ground beef until crumbly (with oil if desired) and season with pepper, salt, and cumin (important!). Place both in a deep casserole dish and mix. Add the passata to a pan or saucepan and the cream cheese. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the cheese has dissolved. Season the mixture with herbs, salt, and pepper. Add the ground beef and gnocchi to the casserole dish and mix everything well. Finally, sprinkle over the grated Parmesan cheese (amount to taste). The Parmesan cheese gives the casserole a particularly tangy flavor that goes very well with the cumin-seasoned ground beef. I therefore recommend this version. If you like, you can also use other cheeses or mix two types. For example, spread a layer of grated Gouda or Emmental, then add finely grated Parmesan. Gouda stays creamier, Emmental will be crispier—it’s a matter of taste. Place in the oven at 200°C (preheated) for about 15 minutes. Vegetarian version: Omit the ground meat and replace with roasted or cooked vegetables of your choice (e.g., eggplant, broccoli, zucchini). Don’t forget the cumin!