Looking to switch up the side dish for dinner tonight? Try my Crispy Gnocchi Piccata, a buttery yet light and simple side that cooks in just 10 minutes!
Crispy Gnocchi Piccata
Crispy Gnocchi Piccata is store-bought, packaged gnocchi that’s sauted in extra virgin olive oil until crispy then tossed with capers, a modest amount of butter, fresh lemon juice, and a ton of fresh baby spinach. Piccata usually calls for a mixing lemon, butter, and capers, but the spinach not only bulks up the recipe but gives it a healthy punch too. Ridiculously good! Crispy Gnocchi Piccata is ready in about 10 minutes and the light, fresh flavor pairs perfectly with just about any protein.
Start by heating 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large, 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add 12oz shelf-stable gnocchi straight from the package (don’t boil first) then shake the pan to get the gnocchi into an even layer. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
I use Delallo Gluten-Free Gnocchi for all my gnocchi recipes.
Note: if you don’t need to eat gluten-free, regular gnocchi usually come in 16oz packages (vs 12oz) so bump up all the remaining ingredients a touch if using a whole package of regular gnocchi.
Continue to saute the gnocchi until fork tender and golden brown all over, 2-3 more minutes, then scoot them off to the side and add 2 Tablespoons butter (or vegan butter) and 1-1/2 Tablespoons drained capers to the cleared side of the skillet. Allow the butter to melt then toss everything together to combine.
Last step is to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into the skillet, followed by 4 cups baby spinach that have been roughly chopped. Saute until the spinach has just wilted, 1-2 minutes.
Give the dish a taste then add more lemon juice and/or salt if necessary.
That’s all she wrote! Absolutely DELICIOUS – so much so that it really doesn’t matter what you serve alongside this delectable little side dish because it’s going to steal the show. Enjoy!
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