Weightwatchers Italian Gnocchi

Bellissimo 

Oh do i love Italian Food.  Pasta, pizza, cheese (making Homer Simpson noises right now) garlic, breads, olive oil, desserts and seafood.  Yea pretty much anything Italian sits well with me.  However, im incredibly fussy.  If in an Italian restaurant and I see Spaghetti Bolognese on the menu, generally i wont eat their.  

There is so much more to Italian food that i think, if this is the best a restaurant can offer, save your penny's.  Now if your looking for a really beautiful Italian meal that will assault all of your senses and transport you on to a mountain top in Tuscany, smelling food and wine.  Try Manifestos  in Rathmines and I do believe that their is a new one open in Rathgar.  You will not be disappointed.  Until you stand on the scales and then im sure you'll think about regretting it.

This dish reminds me of my honeymoon where the food was so tasty.  We actually went to a beautiful restaurant by the sea and i had gnocchi.  I was wearing a gorgeous navy dress with my tan and i thought i was the bees knees.  Well after dinner (& dessert ssh) the dress didn't fit me and i couldn't breath because my stomach was so bloated.  

Now this is always talked about at a Weightwatchers meeting and let me tell you when they talk about the Christmas Day feeling of roll you on the couch to watch the soaps.  This evening springs straight to mind.  I did not look gorgeous at the end of the night nor did i feel it.  

Since then i have learned a most valuable lesson.  Portion Control.  Who knew? Now i can actually eat my gnocchi and not look or feel like an Umpa Lumpa afterwards.  

I made this with a basic tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil and some stock water but if you have a favorite one, you could always use that.

Weightwatchers Propoints per Serving 9
Weightwatchers Propoints per Recipe 35
Serves 4

Ingredients

Spray Oil
1 red onion thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped and crushed
1 pack of Aldi ham cubes 
1 Aubergine thinly sliced into rounds
2 precooked chicken breasts shredded
Tomato Sauce (ingredients above)
A handful of Garden Peas 
1 pack of prepacked Gnocchi ( i bought mine in Dunnes Stores)
3 tsp of Italian Seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbl of grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

In a large non stick pan, mist with a little spray oil.  Once hot add the garlic and the onion, saute until soft.  Add in the ham cubes and cook for about 3 minutes, giving it a little stir.  Add the shredded chicken and aubergine.  Season with a salt and pepper.

Cook for about 3 minutes and then pour in the tomato sauce and the garden peas and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

In the mean time, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then add in the gnocchi.  Cook as per pack instructions.  

Once cooked drain the water from the gnocchi and add to the other pot.  Season with the Italian seasoning and stir. 

Serve and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese untop and a little basil if you like. 

 Enjoy the Niptuck way, so you don't have too!