Gnocchi Gratin with Red Pepper Cream

Soak the raw cashews in cold water for at least 4 hours or in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside. Finely dice the onion, slice the top off the garlic head, and chop the parsley.

Place the whole red peppers directly over a gas burner on a high flame, or under a very hot grill, turning with tongs every 2–3 minutes until the skin is blackened and blistered all over.

Transfer the charred peppers to a bowl, cover tightly with cling film, and rest for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle — the steam loosens the skins.

Peel, seed, and roughly tear the peppers over the bowl to catch all juices. Discard the skins and seeds.

Drizzle the garlic head with 1 tablespoon olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and roast in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) for 35 minutes until the cloves are completely soft and golden.

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a blender. Add the drained cashews, peeled peppers with their juices, warm vegetable stock, smoked paprika, cayenne, white wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, then add the diced onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent with light golden edges.

Add the tomato paste and dried thyme to the onion and stir constantly for 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and smells fragrant.

Pour the blended pepper cream into the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil, add the gnocchi, and cook until they float to the surface and have bobbed for 1 minute — approximately 2–3 minutes total. Drain, reserving 100ml of the cooking water.

Add the drained gnocchi and reserved cooking water to the pepper cream sauce, folding gently to coat every piece evenly, then transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 30 × 20 cm gratin dish.

Scatter the vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast evenly over the top and bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 20 minutes until the surface is bubbling at the edges and deeply golden in places.

Rest the gratin for 5 minutes out of the oven, then scatter with chopped parsley and serve directly from the dish.