“I’m always impressed with simple recipes that taste this good.”
“I’m always impressed with simple recipes that taste this good.”
Hello! Ali here, filling in for Emily Weinstein this week.
Susan Ford, a commenter, is telling the truth: Crispy gnocchi are basically tater tots.
Store-bought, shelf-stable gnocchi are best appreciated when seared until their outsides are crisp and their insides are warm and chewy, and then sauced only enough to taste really good.
I go for a saucing that’s thin but high impact — nothing heavy enough to sog that glorious crust. A peppery brown butter for a skillet of seared gnocchi and brussels sprouts. A potent mix of honey, mustard and horseradish for a steakhouse-inspired combination of gnocchi (masquerading as roasted potatoes), spinach and mushrooms. Just the fat rendered from chicken thighs, plus a little lemon.
In my latest recipe (below), a sheet pan of browned sausage “meatballs,” caramelized broccoli and those golden gnocchi are lightly glossed in melted Parmesan and lemon juice. Sneak a few bites before anyone else does when they’re fresh from the oven. Like tater tots.
Credit…Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
1. Crispy Gnocchi With Sausage and Broccoli
The commenters seem surprised by this recipe: How can something requiring so little effort — you don’t need to boil the gnocchi before roasting — be so “sumptuous” and “outstanding?” One commenter even thinks it’s worthy of Thanksgiving dinner (drizzled with cranberry sauce, of course).