Bacon & Mozzarella Baked Gnocchi

Prepare Your Ingredients
Wash and dry your produce, then preheat oven to 390°F.
Mince 2 garlic cloves.
Halve the grape tomatoes.
Dice ½ the red bell pepper (all if small).
Place the spinach and diced pepper in a salad bowl.
Roughly chop the parsley.
Chop the bacon into bite sized pieces.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the Bacon & Make the Sauce.
In a large pan (oven proof if you have one), cook the bacon over medium heat until starting to crisp.
Pour off most of the fat, then add the garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds.
Add diced tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomato paste, and the sugar.
Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Boil the Gnocchi & Finish the Sauce
While sauce simmers, add the gnocchi to the boiling water.
Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until gnocchi starts floating to the top.
Drain the gnocchi and add to the sauce.
Sprinkle in desired amount of red pepper flakes.
Remove pan from heat, stir in the yogurt and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Bake the Gnocchi Mixture
If using an oven proof pan, sprinkle the mozzarella over the gnocchi mixture and place in the oven.
If not, transfer mixture to a baking dish, top with cheese and place in the oven.
Bake for about 8 minutes, then set heat to high-broil, and allow cheese to lightly brown for about 2 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Make the Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.
Season with a little salt and pepper.
Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.

Plating
Serve baked gnocchi, and place salad on the side.
Enjoy!