Gnocchi with Red Sauce

I have only heard of gnocchi a few times and definitely never experienced it.  A friend of mine convinced me to try and I was extremely pleased.  Of course, the entire dish was spectacular, but the gnocchi was absolutely fantastic.

For this recipe, I start with some spinach.  OK, more like a ton of spinach.  I use coconut oil for everything, so heat it some up in the pan and toss in the spinach.  When done, drain and set aside.

As the spinach is cooking, boil some water.  Once the water is at a boil, throw in a handful or two of gnocchi.  I used a sweet potato gnocchi and it had a wonderful flavour.  I do not have anything to compare it to as I have never tried gnocchi before, but it was good nonetheless.  Allow the gnocchi to cook for just under 10 minutes (or until a preferred tenderness is reached).  When done, drain and set aside.

Whenever the spinach is done, pour it into a bowl and set aside.  Add another drop of coconut oil to the saute pan and toss in some green beans (or any other side that strikes you).  Sprinkle some fresh minced garlic (about one cloves worth) all over the beans and allow to cook.  When done, set aside.  (This is really going to become a very familiar line)

Once the greens are going (or whichever side you chose), start on the red sauce.  Grab another pot and throw some more coconut oil in the pot.  Sprinkle the remaining fresh minced garlic all over the coconut oil (which sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it?).  As the garlic starts to roast/soften, toss in some diced cilantro.  Once the cilantro softens, add the sauteed spinach.  After the spinach rises in temperature, pour in the tomato sauce.  I prefer to use tomato paste (which requires a 1:1.5 sauce to water ratio).  So add the paste and water and simmer everything for as long as you wish.

Whenever the red sauce is ready; toss the gnocchi in a bowl, pour in the sauce, and add your sides to the...side.  And enjoy!

For the dish pictured above, I prepared some black beans to enjoy with everything else.  It is definitely not something that pairs well with the meal, but I love black beans so much, so deal with it.

Just in case, I wrote this over the span of a few sessions and was fairly distracted when completing the recipe, so if this is a clear lack of understanding, let me know.

For one serving:
coconut oil
3 handfuls spinach
1 handful pasta (gnocchi)
2 handfuls green beans
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 handful cilantro, diced
1 can tomato paste