Gnocchi with Eggplant Tomato Mozzarella Sauce {Naptime Everyday}

This post has been updated on October 3, 2016 as part of the 5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market project. We were able to enjoy this recipe again in a whole new way with ingredients from my recent Whole Foods Market trip.

This soup is a long-standing favorite of ours. This week it is part of our 5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market. For this project I am sharing how I make five delicious, easy dinners for my family using one bag of Whole Foods Market groceries. I love shopping there because of their extra fresh ingredients and high commitment to quality.

When it comes to purchasing produce in the winter, or anytime during the year, I head to Whole Foods Market first. They always have a terrific variety of produce that is responsibly grown and fits their very high standards. I know Whole Foods Market is dedicated to supporting farm workers and families. They actively encourage farmers to practice environmentally sound farming methods, which produce high quality, healthy vegetables. It is so easy shopping for produce at Whole Foods Market when I know they’ve already vetted the highest quality produce for me!

I purchase the gnocchi in this recipe from the prepared pasta case. They also have a large variety super fresh pastas that are easy for me to cook in just a few minutes. I also always check my Whole Foods Market app and sales flyer for coupons. They are so easy to use and offer terrific discounts for so many of my favorite every day staples, and the specialty items I love to try. Once my easy one-stop shopping is complete I head home to make dinner!

We always seem to celebrate a new school year with eggplant. With the season in full swing I’ve been cooking up some of our favorites lately and dreaming of new eggplant recipes in my sleep. (Next on the list is Phoebe’s Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush – holy yum!) For a great fall meal I decide to riff on a favorite baked eggplant and gnocchi recipe that is in my book, and is entirely make-ahead, and pair our favorite gnocchi with a simple eggplant pan sauce.

While my daughter was taking one last summer nap before school I roasted the eggplant, which, I believe, is just about the easiest make-ahead step in the world. It can be roasted up to a day in advance in kept in the fridge if you are really in need of a time saving step! At dinner time I simply added the eggplant to a batch of my homemade marinara sauce from the pantry, threw in some cubed fresh mozzarella, and heated it through for a few minutes. While it was simmering away I made the gnocchi and boiled it until perfectly cooked (a ten minute process from start to finish) and dinner was served!

My daughter’s request for a vegetable side dish was a simple crudite platter of her favorite veggies and we added in some hummus for dipping. It seemed a little funny to pair with her pasta but I really don’t mind as long as she is willingly crunching away.