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).