Entrée
Crispy Skillet Gnocchi, Blistered Tomatoes and Spinach
Potato gnocchi seared straight from the bag until crisp, tossed with blistered tomatoes, spinach and parmesan.
Ingredients · 4 servings
| 1 lb | potato gnocchi (shelf-stable) |
| 3 tbsp | unsalted butter · pantry |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil · pantry |
| 3 clove | garlic grow it ↗ |
| 2 cup | cherry tomatoes grow it ↗ |
| 4 cup | baby spinach grow it ↗ |
| 0.5 tsp | red pepper flakes · pantry |
| 1 tsp | kosher salt · pantry |
| 0.5 tsp | black pepper · pantry |
| 0.5 cup | parmesan cheese |
| 0.25 cup | fresh basil grow it ↗ |
| 0.25 cup | water · pantry |
Method
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams.
- Add gnocchi in a single layer, straight from the package, no boiling. Cook undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes until golden and blistered on the bottom.
- Flip or toss gnocchi and cook 2 more minutes until crisp on a second side. Push to one side of the pan.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the cleared space. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add cherry tomatoes and the water. Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until tomatoes blister and burst.
- Uncover, stir everything together, and add spinach in handfuls, tossing until just wilted, about 1 minute.
- Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in half the parmesan, and top with remaining parmesan and torn basil before serving.
Nutrition · per serving
Estimated from this recipe's ingredients, not lab-measured — not a substitute for professional dietary advice.
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The Why · No Anecdotes
The science, not a story about my childhood.
Why sear the gnocchi dry instead of boiling it first?
Shelf-stable gnocchi is already partly cooked and low in surface moisture. Dropping it straight into hot fat lets the exterior starch dehydrate and brown via the Maillard reaction, forming a crisp shell before the inside ever needs to steam. Boiling first would hydrate the surface and prevent that crust from forming.
Why cover the pan when adding the tomatoes?
Covering traps steam released as the tomato skins split under heat, which speeds softening and helps the interior collapse into a light sauce. The lid also keeps splatter down from the bursting skins.
Suggested sides — swap freely