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Gnocchi in Pasilla Chilli Sauce

Name: Gnocchi in Pasilla Chilli Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 500 g Potato gnocchi; 1 to taste Salt; 4 chiles secos Pasilla chillies; 3 cloves Garlic; 200 ml Soured cream; 0.5 White onion; 60 g Cotija cheese; 300 ml Vegetable stock; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil

35 min (15 prep + 20 cook) Medium 4 servings Fusión Italia-MX

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Potato gnocchi in a smooth pasilla chilli sauce with soured cream and cotija.

About this recipe

Fluffy potato gnocchi bathed in a creamy pasilla chilli sauce with soured cream and crumbled cotija cheese. A comforting and surprising Italian-Mexican fusion.

History & Origin

Gnocchi, those small potato and flour dumplings that Italians have been preparing since the 17th century, found their perfect counterpart in the Mexican pasilla chilli. This dried chilli, with its dark wrinkled skin and smoky, earthy, slightly sweet flavour, is one of the pillars of classic Mexican cuisine and a fundamental component of Oaxacan black mole. The fusion between Italian pasta and Mexican chillies is not new: Mexitalian restaurants have been experimenting for years in cosmopolitan cities like New York, Los Angeles and now Madrid. The pasilla chilli has a great advantage: its heat is moderate and its flavour profile is complex without being aggressive, making it ideal for creamy sauces that accompany soft doughs like gnocchi. In this recipe, the chilli is rehydrated, blended with sautéed garlic and onion, and finished with soured cream to create a silky reddish-brown sauce that hugs every piece of pasta. Crumbled cotija cheese on top adds saltiness and a texture reminiscent of Roman pecorino. A dish that honours both culinary traditions.

Estimated cost

£7.00

Total cost

£1.75

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

350

Calories

10g

Protein

48g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Remove the stems and seeds from the pasilla chillies. Toast them lightly on a dry comal for 30 seconds per side. Submerge in hot water for 20 minutes until rehydrated.
2
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
3
Blend the rehydrated chillies with the vegetable stock, sautéed onion and garlic until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve.
4
Pour the strained sauce back into the pan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the soured cream and stir well. Season with salt.
5
Cook the gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions, generally 2-3 minutes or until they float to the surface.
6
Drain the gnocchi and add directly to the pasilla chilli sauce. Gently fold together so each piece is well coated. Cook for 2 more minutes over low heat.
7
Serve immediately in deep bowls. Sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese on top. Accompany with bread or a green salad.