Skillet Gnocchi with Roasted Red Peppers and White Beans

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• It makes the most of convenient pantry staples. Recipes that rely on ingredients with a long shelf-life are helpful for busy weeknights. That’s why I like to keep gnocchi, canned beans and roasted red peppers in my kitchen. You can throw together a good meal with them.
• This recipe is wonderful year round. Roasted red peppers give you a much-needed Mediterranean boost during the cold weather months. Plus this recipe still works during summer because of its quick cook time.
• Kale is an easy way to add greens. I take advantage of the heat in the pan. Chopped kale cooks quickly.

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Gnocchi: Shelf-stable or frozen gnocchi will work in this recipe. You can substitute with cauliflower gnocchi or another gluten-free version.
• Roasted red peppers: Since they come in jars packed in liquid, I use a fork to take out the peppers and then chop them. You can substitute with sun dried tomatoes. Both are easy to find at the olive bar in the grocery.
• White beans: I’ve tested this recipe with cannellini beans, great northern beans and navy beans, and they all work well. It comes down to size. Cannellini are the largest, and navy are the smallest. Great northern land in the middle.
• Kale: I like the sturdiness of kale paired with gnocchi. You can use lacinato kale or curly kale. Strip the leaves off the stems, and then roughly chop them.
• Garlic: Four minced cloves may sound like a lot, but with this amount of ingredients, it all balances out.
• Onions: Before the garlic and spices make it into the skillet, I sauté chopped onions. They are the starting point of the aromatics.
• Parmesan: I stir grated Parmesan cheese into the gnocchi once the dish is finished. The heat melts right giving it good flavor. I also garnish it with more cheese once I’ve plated it.
• Red pepper flakes, kosher salt & black pepper season the dish.
• Parsley: Besides parmesan, I also stir chopped parsley to finish the gnocchi. If it’s summer, I will substitute with torn basil leaves.

How To Make Skillet Gnocchi

1. Cook the gnocchi. Follow the recommended cook time on the package, simmering it in salted boiling water.

2. Sauté the onions. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Give the onions 4-5 minutes to start to soften.

3. Stir in the garlic, roasted red peppers and kale. Keep sautéing for 2-3 minutes until the kale softens.

4. Add the gnocchi, white beans and seasonings. Stir everything together. The beans will warm in a few minutes. Fold in the Parmesan and parsley.

Serving

A salad is an obvious choice for a vegetarian gnocchi main dish.  Try this arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette, this classic house salad or this Italian chopped salad. You can also include a piece of crusty bread or focaccia on the side.