When I’m too tired and too cold to wait for takeout, I turn to my favorite hacks for a quick bite. This year, it’s packaged gnocchi. Ready in minutes without much fuss, it generously serves two people and is satisfying but not too heavy.
These are nothing like their handmade namesake; real gnocchi are light as a feather and tender when cooked. And unlike those authentic Italian potato dumplings, there’s no need to boil the packaged variety first. Simply scatter them onto a sheet pan with butter or olive oil and pop them into a hot oven. The butter will brown and baste the gnocchi as they develop a golden crust and their interior turns soft and fudgy. It’s tempting to nosh on these right out of the pan, but they’ll singe your fingers. Better to toss them with a shredded hard cheese — aged Gouda, Parmesan or Asiago — then drizzle them with lemon and transfer them to a pretty bowl.
This simple technique works equally well for a midweek dinner if you toss hunks of sausage and vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli or Brussels sprouts into the pan to roast alongside the gnocchi. If you happen to have any leftover pan-roasted gnocchi, add them to a soup or stew or simmer them in a pasta sauce the next day. They reheat beautifully.
Use this hack to make dinner just for you and your immediates, or double it and quickly whip up a meal for whoever drops by. This nosh is my go-to for winding down with a simple, savory meal at the end of a busy day.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Browned Butter and Sage