Easy Peas-y! Or Zucchini! (Berkshire Eagle Column)
While the version of this recipe below uses zucchini, you could just as easily use peas, even frozen peas which are easy to have on hand. Soon after this appeared in my fortnightly Berkshire Eagle column, a friend told me how she made this with shrimp and bay scallops! I love hearing how people take an idea and make it their own, whether by design, or because of what they have in the house!
ONE PAN, MANY POSSIBILITIES
by Elizabeth Baer
The struggle is real. It’s January, the fun of the holiday season is over, and the weather is gray or cold or both. Everything feels a bit blah, and while, on the one hand, I’d like to embark on a long cooking project, something simmering away on the stove or baking in the oven for hours, on the other hand, I feel compelled to make something easy that doesn’t require a lot of planning.
Once I learned the tricks for skillet sautéed gnocchi, it opened up so many options for a one-pan dinner. And with shelf-stable or refrigerator-stable gnocchi available, it can, in some variations, be a pantry meal as well.
My preference, if I’m trying to make it streamlined and easy, is to have all the components of the meal in the same cooking vessel. Here I suggest cut zucchini for the vegetable, sausage for the protein, and gnocchi for the side. Zucchini may not be a pantry item, but the gnocchi are, and we always have at least a couple packages of sausage in the freezer. And when I don’t want to go to the store for zucchini, I’ve even just used one or two onions, which we always have on hand.
For more years than I can remember I’ve made a pasta dish with leftover roasted cauliflower, a dish my son named a “sauté” which I’ve written about previously. As I experimented with various vegetables in this dish, I learned that some lend a thickness to the sauce, while others do not. As much as I love broccoli, it doesn’t give a sauce the same body as other vegetables. I have found success with numerous others, including eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions, as mentioned above, for when I don’t have the time or inclination to go to the store for a fresh vegetable.
As such, this recipe is more what I like to call a “non-recipe” that merely offers guidelines and invites you to experiment and make it your own. You may prefer a spicy sausage or a plant-based substitute. If you want to keep it vegan or avoid dairy, use exclusively olive oil and all water instead of cream and water. Be sure to let me know if you find your own favorite version!
PAN-COOKED GNOCCHI WITH SAUSAGE AND ZUCCHINI
Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or a combination of olive oil and unsalted butter, plus more as needed
8 ounces sausage (about 2 regular size), bulk or removed from the casing
2 zucchini, cut into ¼-inch half-moons, or other equivalent amount of another vegetable as recommended above, or a combination of two or more
¼ teaspoon salt
A few grinds fresh pepper
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
One 9-12 ounce package gnocchi
½ cup heavy cream (or all water)
¼ cup water
Grated Parmesan for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil (and butter if using) in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the sausage, zucchini, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and sauté, breaking up the sausage until the meat is fully cooked and the zucchini has browned in spots. If using vegan sausage, check the package directions for any specific cooking instructions.
Push the sausage and zucchini to the sides of the pan and add the gnocchi to the center, in a single layer as much as possible, adding more olive oil as needed (which depends on how much fat has been given off by the sausages). Allow the gnocchi to cook undisturbed for a few minutes and begin to brown. Toss and cook a few more minutes, using a metal spatula if the gnocchi have begun to stick a bit. Check the package directions as different brands of gnocchi may vary in recommended cooking time.
Add the cream and the water and use a spoon or metal spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Mix gently but well.
Serve with grated Parmesan.