Heart-Healthy(ish) Gnocchi
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While searching for an easy dinner to make while on vacation (why I’m cooking on vacation is another story), I found an article in the New York Times by Ali Slagle, with a recipe for Crisp Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter. I tried it because the opening line said:
“For a fantastic meal that can be ready in 20 minutes…”
That was all I needed to hear.
That said, I almost didn’t try this recipe as it calls for 6 tablespoons of butter (and, um, has ‘butter’ in the title). But when I scanned the recipe comments, many people said the recipe as written had TOO MUCH butter and was delicious with the butter cut in HALF, so I decided to go for it.
I’m glad I did. With a few modifications—all suggested in the recipe’s comments section—this recipe was simple and delicious.
Here is the original recipe: Crisp Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter. Frustratingly, the NYT does not publish nutrition facts but I didn’t need them to figure out this was too much butter to be heart-healthy.
So I revised the recipe to: roast the brussels sprouts rather than cook on the stovetop, cut the butter in half, and swap balsamic vinegar for honey.
Here is my version of the recipe, along with Nutrition Facts which I calculated using the handy recipe tool in MyFitnessPal. At 8 grams of saturated fat per serving it’s not bad for a dinner, especially as it delivers 6 grams of fiber.
This recipe was delicious, easy to prepare, and my family loved it. I hope you do as well. Recipe below – or here if you prefer a PDF.
Ali Slagle recipe, modified to reduce butter/saturated fat.
- 1 pound brussels sprouts or cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or even cabbage
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1 18-ounce package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter sliced into 6 pieces
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees
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Trim and halve the brussels sprouts.
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Using a zester (or vegetable peeler: peel thick strips of lemon zest, then coarsely chop.) zest 1-2 teaspoons of lemon, depending on taste preference.)
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Slick the halved brussels sprouts with olive oil and toss with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet cut side down. Roast in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Stir, top with red-pepper flakes and roast another 5 minutes or so. Set aside.
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In a large (preferably 12-inch) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Break up any gnocchi that are stuck together, add them to the pan and cook, covered and undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, 2 to 4 minutes (mine needed more time).
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Add the butter and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper, and cook, stirring, until the butter is golden, nutty smelling and foaming, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Stir in the brussels sprouts until warmed through.
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Serve with grated Parmesan.
Original recipe from Ali Slagle as published in the New York Times. I modified to: roast the brussels sprouts rather than cook on stove top, cut butter in half, use balsamic vinegar instead of honey—all modifications that were suggested by NYT commenters.
