Pork Tenderloin and Gnocchi Ragù

This weeknight dinner looks impressive, but is quick and easy to pull together thanks to packaged gnocchi and fast-cooking pork tenderloin.  

Poek Tenderloin and Gnocchi Ragu
Photo: Antonis Achilleos
Hands On Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4

This pork tenderloin recipe may look restaurant-quality, but it requires only 10 ingredients (including salt, pepper, and olive oil!) and will be on the table in about a half hour. Searing the pork on the stovetop before finishing cooking in the oven is a step that pays off twice. First, that gorgeous browning gives the pork tenderloin big flavor. Secondly, the fat left in the pan seasons the gnocchi as they cook to a beautiful golden brown. The crispy gnocchi is then added to a quick sauce made of plump grape tomatoes and aromatic fennel, finished with creamy butter. It's the perfect saucy sidekick for the juicy pork tenderloin.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 12-oz. pkg. refrigerated potato gnocchi

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes

  • 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced, fronds reserved

  • 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion (from 1 small onion)

  • ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Sprinkle pork with pepper and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook pork, turning, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of tenderloin registers 140°F, 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, add gnocchi to skillet. Cook over medium-high until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add tomatoes, fennel, onion, and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt. Cook until tomatoes burst and fennel and onion soften, 6 to 7 minutes.

  4. Add broth, stirring to release any browned bits from skillet. Cook until reduced, about 1 minute. Add butter and gnocchi; stir until butter melts and gnocchi is coated with sauce, about 1 minute.

  5. Let pork rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with gnocchi and sauce. Top with fennel fronds and pepper.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

478 Calories
27g Fat
24g Carbs
34g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 478
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 838mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 34g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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