Pan-Sautéed Gnocchi with Beets
Also known as “I love beets, one of many in a series!”
Most people either love beets or hate them. When I met my husband he was definitely in the I-hate-beets camp, but now that I’ve made a convert of him, he was sad that there wasn’t enough for seconds when I made this. I’m still hoping that one day – when we can actually see each other once again – I can tempt my friend, Robin, into trying beets one more time, to see if there is some preparation that she might like!
Yes, it has been a while...
Teaching via Zoom has been much more work than ever, and our new LMS (learning management system) is excessively time-consuming. After so many years of teaching, I have an abundance of materials to utilize, adding new items every year, or revising old ones. But making them fully accessible no matter where the student may be, no matter what device the student is using, no matter whether the student has access to a printer, takes so much more time than going down the hall to the copier! We have fewer minutes of direct instruction per week, but it takes more time to prep! At one point I got so far behind on correcting assignments that the LMS app told me I had over 100 outstanding items!
With Wednesday off last week and with only two days of teaching next week, I finally feel caught up, and I hope to get a bit ahead so, with any luck, I can stay ahead!
Thus, finally, I felt like I had time to offer a recipe for something I made recently. We had a bag of gnocchi in the refrigerator with a November 20 date that needed to be used, and also some beets from our last farm CSA pick-up that I had already roasted. With half a leek, a bit of pancetta (I always have some in the freezer), and some heavy cream I had put in the freezer when I wasn’t going to use it in time, I came up with this pretty pink dish. And it was delicious, too!
Pan-Sautéed Gnocchi with Beets
Serves 2
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus another Tablespoon if needed
½ leek, sliced thin (cut lengthwise, then slice white and light green parts into halfmoons)
½ slice pancetta, chopped (omit for vegetarian)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces shelf-stable or refrigerated skillet gnocchi
3 small roasted beets, chopped
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
½-¾ cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan for serving
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the leek and pancetta, sprinkle the salt over the leek to help draw out some moisture, and sauté until the pancetta is beginning to crisp and the leek is soft and just beginning to take on some color.
Push the pancetta and leek to the sides of the pan. If most of the oil has been absorbed, add another tablespoon to the pan. Add the gnocchi in a single layer as much as possible. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, turning once half way through. It is a hassle to make sure every single one gets to cook on both sides, so don’t fuss over this. After 5 minutes most of the gnocchi should have some color on one or both sides. Add the beets, blue cheese, and cream, stir gently to combine, and allow to warm through.
Serve immediately with grated Parmesan.