We all need trusty, quick, simple recipes that give us bang for buck and make the people we are rushing to feed happy, too. With a grocery list short enough to remember easily and a cooking method that can largely be summed up as “sauté stuff”, it’s within reach for home cooks of any experience level and simultaneously interesting enough for just about any food lover.
This speedy, easy gnocchi sauce recipe gets its magic from a few simple, powerful ingredients and is sure to please! Fennel bulbs sit right at the center of this recipe. It is also SUPER fast! So very easy—like about 20 minutes and very little brain-power required. Truly! Give it 20 minutes and your most minimal baseline effort and it’ll give you a dinner that feels downright restaurant-y. Here’s how to make the best gnocchi sauce ever…
You will need:
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced, reserve the fronds for garnish
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 500g gnocchi shelf-stable or refrigerated
- 500g cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped Calabrian chili peppers (more or less depending on desired spice level)
- ¼ cup minced Italian parsley
- flaky salt for serving
How to make…
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, until it glistens. Stir in the sliced fennel. Once every slice is covered in oil, spread them out in a single layer. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring often, until the fennel is golden brown and tender, about 8 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large stock pot set over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 5 minutes, using a colander, drain and set aside.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the fennel. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the par-cooked gnocchi, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, Calabrian chilies and parsley to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, for another 2-3 minutes, until the gnocchi is tender. Remove from heat and serve warm topped with fennel fronds and flaky salt.
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