Crispy Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Brassicas
I never really liked gnocchi until I learned that they could be crispy. Now I love adding them to the mix when I’m looking for a quick dinner that’s not pasta. Here I use two sheet pans, one for the veggies and one for the gnocchi, and it’s all a timing game. Ten minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven, mostly hands off. In these pictures I use a mix of cauliflower and brussels sprouts, but you could use any brassicas, including broccoli and kale.
Recipe
Yield: 4 servings
1.5lbs any brassicas–broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, etc.
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic Kosher salt
1 tablespoon honey ¼ cup (half stick) butter
2 packages shelf stable potato gnocchi
⅓ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Lemon wedges for serving, optional
Red pepper flakes, optional
Pesto for serving, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425. Line two sheet trays with foil. Cut all your veggies into bite size pieces–trim and halve or quarter brussels sprouts, cut cauliflower or broccoli into bite-size florets. Transfer to one of the baking sheets and spread the vegetables out in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, drizzle honey over, and grate the garlic cloves directly over the vegetables. Add the butter to the other sheet tray. Stick both sheet trays in the oven. After about five minutes, the butter should be melted, foamy, and starting to brown. Pull that sheet out and spread the gnocchi out in a single layer, give the pan a shake and sprinkle the gnocchi with salt. Pop the pan back in the oven, and let everything cook for 20 minutes. Pull the gnocchi out again and sprinkle parmesan cheese over all and give them a stir.
As you put the gnocchi back in the oven, check your vegetables. If they’re looking very brown and caramelized, pull them out. If they’re almost there, but not quite, maybe switch the position of the sheet trays. Cook the gnocchi for ten minutes more. When the gnocchi is nice and golden and crisp, pull everything out of the oven and divide the gnocchi and vegetables between bowls.
Top with more parmesan cheese, a squeeze of lemon and some red pepper flakes. And also, just because we keep things real around here, sometimes I like this dish as is, and sometimes I wish it had a sauce. If you like things on the saucier side, skip the lemon and add a spoonful or two of store bought pesto.
