BITES OF FUN
Sauté gnocchi to transform them into a crispy, pillowy, tasty dinner
Flavour is paramount to our enjoyment of a dish, but texture is not far behind. Chewy bucatini adds an element of fun to a simple pasta dish with zucchini and sausage, the crunch of a perfectly cooked french fry that yields to a fluffy interior fills me with excitement. A dish's texture can be the cherry on top of its taste.
There is added flair when an ingredient is used in an unexpected way. In this instance, we're taking pillowy dumplings and giving them crisp outsides with a touch of chew. Simply grab store-bought gnocchi and sauté them in a skillet and you'll be delighted with the results.
Crisping store-bought gnocchi instead of boiling them is an easy change with outsized results that deserves to be shouted from the rooftops. I suggest folding them into a fresh, eggplant and tomato sauce for a weeknight-friendly meal. Though it's not required, sometimes I like peeling eggplant so that texturally it can sort of melt into the background, and you're just left with the vegetable's mild, sweet flavour.
The eggplant goes into an oiled skillet with onion until it starts to pick up some colour. If you've cooked eggplant on a stove before, you've witnessed firsthand how much it acts like a sponge soaking up oil. This is where I'd like to encourage you to not fear fat. I'm not saying you should have the cubes of eggplant bathing in a pool of oil, but if the pan looks particularly dry, an extra tablespoon or two of fat as needed can lead to better browning and thus more flavour.
Next, cherry or grape tomatoes, garlic, and water are added, and the tomatoes are cooked until they start to soften and burst. To encourage them along, use the back of a wooden spoon to gently smash them to form a rustic sauce to which fresh basil and the sautéed gnocchi get folded in at the last second.
This dish is best eaten immediately, with a shower of Parmesan cheese for good measure, so you can enjoy the fleeting nature of the crisp gnocchi's texture that gives each bowl its extra bit of flair. That's the thing about the crispy, crunchy, gooey and the like: They're often ephemeral, so take this as a reminder to seize the moment before it fades away.