Salt and Pepper Gnocchi

I’m writing this blog post on the couch, unshowered, wrapped up in a blanket with a dog at my feet, and eating a cold leftover nub of burrito from the night before for breakfast… if that gives you any indication of how I’m doing these days (lol). I’m actually doing really fine, I promise. I’m just very tired and busy lately, but what else is new?! I have some self imposed cookbook #2 deadlines coming up so I’ve been furiously testing and retesting recipes from the first two chapters I’m submitting to my editor. I can’t eat another sweet and sour pork chop (but they are quite delicious!).

After a few weeks of really intense cookbook writing I need to step away from the recipes for a little. You know, to eat other people’s food, go out for dinner, or simply cook something very normal and not with the intentions of writing down to share with the internet. Well, that’s how this Salt and Pepper Gnocchi was born… and now I’m sharing it on the internet!

One night, I was going to make salt and pepper tofu for dinner, a very standard meal for us, but I realized I only had a block of silken tofu in the fridge and not firm! Dilemma! For some reason I had a package of pre-made gnocchi (which I rarely ever buy, but picked some up the other week as an incase of emergency meal)! I thought the idea of Salt and Pepper Gnocchi couldn’t be too bad so I cooked them and threw them into the mix. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I’ve made it twice in the last week because we love it so much. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I almost prefer the texture of denser, chewier gnocchi. It reminds me of chewy asian rice cakes! The simple flavors of salt, white pepper, sichuan peppercorns, and aromatics cling onto the ridges of the gnocchi and it’s so, SO good! I hope this recipe makes it’s way into your weekly dinner rotation!

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Salt and Pepper Gnocchi

serves 2 (as a primary meal) to 4 (as part of a larger meal)

1 lb pre-made gnocchi

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup diced red onion

1 tsp ground sichuan peppercorns

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced with the seeds intact

Cilantro, for topping

Fried garlic, for topping

steps:

1. Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Typically that means boiling the gnocchi until they float to the surface of the water. Drain the gnocchi and set a side.

2. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, and sichuan peppercorns. Stir occasionally and continue to cook until aromatic and lightly browned around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the gnocchi , salt, and white pepper. Give everything a good toss and continue to cook until the gnocchi are golden brown and the aromatics are crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the jalapeños at the end.

4. Top with fresh torn cilantro and extra crispy garlic. Serve immediately!