Lets face it. It is a weeknight; you get home exhausted from work, hopefully not at eleven, with the least amount of energy to cook anything that requires more effort than punching three digits on the microwave’s touch pad. It is O.K. don’t feel guilty, it happens to everybody.

This is a simple, healthy alternative to ramen. It takes maybe ten minutes to make. But it is a healthy, nutritious, easy to make alternative to the salty cardboard solution. While pasta is easy to make, it takes ten minutes to cook, and can get pretty boring after a while. How many times a week can you eat tomato sauce? Or a variation on a butter sauce for that matter? This dish will freshen up your pasta. It is prepared with a light carrot sauce. No butter, tiny bit of olive oil, and lots of flavor, without the guilt. I am not saying gnocchi is the healthiest alternative within the pasta aisle, but it is sure delicious.

The only thing you need is carrots, onions, garlic, fresh oregano, cumin, and store-bought gnocchi. And if you don’t have gnocchi, any other type of fresh paste will do.

Gnocchi in Carrot Cumin Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ medium onion
• salt to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 ¼” slice of fresh ginger
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 spring fresh oregano
• About a cup fresh gnocchi

You can add Parmigianino Regiano if in the mood.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot with about a spoonful of salt.

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil. Add onion and salt, and cook until soft. Add garlic, ginger, carrots, cumin and oregano. Cook until carrots soften. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Bring sauce back to the pan, and keep temperature at low. If the sauce is too thick, add a ladleful of pasta water to soften. Cook gnocchi in bowling water for around five minutes, transfer to the carrot sauce, mix and serve. At this point you can add the cheese if using. Devour!