Gnocchi with Tomato, Basil and Olives
Soft potato gnocchi, a fast tomato sauce, a handful of good olives and torn basil at the end: this is a weeknight supper that tastes like more than the sum of its parts. The olives are what turn a plain tomato sauce into something with depth.
Some of the best quick suppers are the least fussy, and this is one of them: gnocchi in a bright tomato sauce that a handful of olives turns from ordinary to moreish. It is a storecupboard dish at heart — a tin of tomatoes, a spoon of paste, dried herbs — lifted by two fresh touches: the olives and a fistful of basil torn in at the very end. It comes together in the time it takes the gnocchi to bob to the surface, and it happily goes meat-free without anyone noticing.
The sauce is the whole game
Start the sauce before anything else. Warm a good glug of olive oil in a wide pan, and if you like soften a little garlic or onion in it first. Pour in a tin of crushed or chopped tomatoes and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir in a spoonful of tomato paste for body and a deeper, sweeter tomato flavour, then season with dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne or chilli for a low background warmth. Let it simmer and reduce while the gnocchi cooks — ten minutes is plenty for the flavours to come together and the sauce to thicken to a clinging consistency.
Where the olives come in
Add a handful of pitted olives, chopped or halved, to the sauce as it simmers so their salt and savour seep through the whole pan rather than sitting on top. Both black and green work, and the choice sets the mood: soft black olives (a Kalamata-style or a ripe Italian olive) melt into a mellow, rounded richness, while firm green olives keep more bite and a sharper, brinier edge. Because the olives and paste already bring plenty of salt, taste before you add any more — this is a dish that seasons itself if you let it.
Gnocchi, basil, and bringing it together
Cook the gnocchi in a big pot of well-salted boiling water and treat them gently — they are done the moment they float to the top, usually a couple of minutes, and boiling on past that turns them gluey. Drain them and fold them through the hot sauce so each dumpling is coated. Take the pan off the heat and only then tear in the fresh basil, so its perfume lifts off the plate rather than stewing away. A little grated cheese on top is optional — it eats beautifully with or without, which makes it an easy dish to keep dairy-free.
| Serves | 2 as a main |
|---|---|
| Time | About 15 minutes |
| Base | Tinned crushed tomatoes plus a spoon of tomato paste |
| Olives | A handful, pitted — black for mellow, green for bite |
| Seasoning | Dried Italian herbs, salt, pepper, a pinch of cayenne |
| Finish | Fresh basil torn in off the heat; grated cheese optional |
| Olive choice | In this sauce | Best if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Soft black (Kalamata-style) | Melts into a mellow, rounded richness. | A comforting, deep, sweet-savoury sauce. |
| Firm green | Keeps its bite and a sharper, briny edge. | A brighter, punchier, more assertive plate. |
| A mix of both | Depth from the black, lift from the green. | The most interesting result of all. |
Getting it right
- Start the sauce first and let it simmer and reduce while the gnocchi cooks.
- Add a spoon of tomato paste for depth, and the olives early so their savour spreads through the sauce.
- Drain gnocchi the moment they float — overcooked, they go gluey.
- Taste before salting; the olives and paste already bring plenty.
- Tear in the basil off the heat so it stays fragrant, not stewed.
Gnocchi with tomato, basil and olives: common questions
Should I use black or green olives?
Either. Soft black olives melt into a mellow richness; firm green ones keep more bite and brine. A mix of both gives the most interesting sauce.
Why add tomato paste as well as tinned tomatoes?
The paste deepens the colour and gives a sweeter, more concentrated tomato flavour and body, so a quick tinned-tomato sauce tastes slow-cooked.
How do I stop gnocchi going gluey?
Drain them the instant they float to the surface — usually a couple of minutes. Boiling on past that point is what makes them stodgy.
When should I add the basil?
Right at the end, off the heat, torn rather than chopped, so its fragrance lifts off the plate instead of cooking away.
Can I make it without cheese?
Yes. The olives, tomato and basil carry the dish, so it eats beautifully dairy-free; grated cheese on top is an optional extra, not essential.
The olives are not a garnish here — they are the seasoning. Add them to the sauce early, not at the end, so their salt and savour work right through the pan instead of perching on top, and taste before you reach for the salt cellar, because between the olives and the paste the dish half-seasons itself. Black olives make it mellow, green ones make it sharp, a mix does both. And treat the gnocchi gently: they are ready the second they float, and one minute too long is the difference between pillows and paste.
Drawn from classic quick Italian tomato-sauce method and the role of cured olives as a seasoning.