Let me just state for the record that I LOVE gnocchi- but it can be really amazing or kind of gross and/or boring and/or heavy. To get around that you can do a few things- make your own, which is noble, but not always something I have time and energy for. Last time I made gnocchi from scratch at home was... um, let's see, December, November, oh, right, NEVER. (I have made it in a restaurant when being paid to do so but that's different.) So if you're not going to make it at home you can buy good stuff and prepare it well. I prefer the mini-gnocchis you can get at some fancy stores, or the ones from an Italian deli like Lucca when they have them, or actually the ones from Trader Joes are pretty good and they are a bargain. You can buy gnocchi and keep them in the freezer- then put them straight into the water from the freezer with no taste or texture problems.



For my money, the only gnocchi that's good just cooked in boiling water is a really good homemade gnocchi. You might think this presents a conundrum, but I get around it by sauteing the boiled gnocchi in a bit of butter to crisp the outside. So you get the soft pillow inside with the crispy browned outside- like a teeny tiny toasted bagel.

Second statement: I LOVE brown butter- and it's really easy to make. Brown butter can make a sauce so nutty and complex and if done in the right way can practically stand alone, with just a couple extra ingredients. This is a quick and simple dish you can make in about 20 minutes, with very little to no prep. This is a recipe I made up and that I make up often in many iterations- so feel free to change it up as desired. I put a few variations at the end!


Gnocchi with Peas and Brown Butter
this will serve about 4-5 people as a side dish, 2-3 as a main.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet gnocchi (I think they come in 1 lb?)
• about  4 T butter + 2 T butter
• 2-3 shallots, chopped
• juice of 1 or 2 lemons
• a cup or more of frozen peas
• big handful of parmigiano reggiano- I prefer it shaved off a block with a potato peeler
• salt to taste

Method:

• Bring a salted pot of water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, put the 1/2 stick butter in a small saucepan (that's not black or dark-colored on the inside) and heat over medium low. The butter will melt, then bubble, and then the bubbles will subside. Swirl the pan and in a moment you will see the white milk solids of the butter will start to turn brown and smell nutty. When butter is browned but not black, pour it out into a bowl. Set aside.
• When water comes to a boil, drop gnocchis in and turn heat down to simmer. Meanwhile, start heating the 2 T butter in a large saute pan on high heat (you can substitute olive oil, but the gnocchis won't get as crispy.)
• When the gnocchis float, after a couple minutes, skim the floating ones off the top with a slotted spoon. Shake off some water and add to the saute pan directly. Continue until all the gnocchis are in the saute pan. Add salt and saute gnocchis, turning often, until they are a bit browned on the outside, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan.
• Put shallots in pan (add a knob of butter or oil if necessary) and saute until soft, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and peas and cook for about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and add gnocchi and brown butter, flipping or stirring to combine. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. Put on serving plate and top with parmigiano.

Variations:

• If it's not porky enough for you, it's really good if you cut up like 4 slices of bacon in little pieces, saute them separately, drain on paper towels, and add them at the end.
• If it's not rich enough for you, add a little cream with the peas instead of lemon juice- and squeeze the lemon juice over it when you add everything together at the end.
• If it's not healthy enough for you, throw some spinach leaves in with the lemon juice and peas.
• If it's not exciting enough for you, add some chopped herbs and/or garlic in with the shallots.
• If it's not crunchy enough for you, put the whole thing in a casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and/or chopped nuts, and put it in the oven to crisp the top.