Gnocchi and Classic Meat Sauce

I thought that when I made this one, my son would not like it, but I was wrong as he really enjoyed it.  A nice hearty meal for the whole family! Possibly it was because he was very involved with the preparation of the meal:

Ingredients:
500gr                 Beef mince
1 410gr can      Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 410gr can  Tomato Puree
Handfull            Fresh Basil finely chopped
1 Large              Onion finely chopped
4 Cloves            Garlic finely chopped
125gr                  Button Mushrooms finely chopped
splash                Balsamic vinegar
1 sachet             Beef stock




Method:
Brown the mince in a hot pan with some olive oil
Remove the mince from the pan, and fry the onions, mushrooms, garlic and basil for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft.
Put the mince back into the pan and stir to mix.
Add the whole can of chopped tomatoes, half a can of tomato puree, beef stock and a splash (about a teaspoon and a half) of balsamic vinegar.
Turn the pan down to a simmer and put the lid on.
After about ten minutes, taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary.


Whilst the meat sauce simmers, boil salted water in a large pot for the gnocchi.  Cook according to the packet instructions.  This is usually very easy, once they float, they are done 4-5minutes in boiling water.  Drain the gnocchi and return to the hot pot, add a large knob of butter and toss to coat.


At this point the meat sauce should be ready.


Notes
I have started using Ina Paarman's beef stock in sachet form as there are no chemical preservatives in it, nice tasting!



Serve in a bowl with the meat sauce spooned over the gnocchi and enjoy!!

The Chopped Ingredients

The Meat Sauce Simmering

How I ate mine

My Son specifically wanted cheese on his Gnocchi and meat sauce in a separate bowl