Crispy Pan-Fried Gnocchi
Equipment
- 12-inch non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron pan
- Tongs for flipping and checking colour
- Rasp or fine grater for the parmesan and lemon zest
Ingredients
- 16 ounces shelf-stable potato gnocchi 1 package, from the dry pasta aisle — do not boil it
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
Instructions
Crisp the Gnocchi
- Open the packet and separate any gnocchi that are stuck together. Pat them dry with paper towel if they feel at all damp. Do not boil them — shelf-stable gnocchi cook through perfectly well in the pan, and boiling first makes a crisp crust impossible.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the gnocchi in a single layer. If they do not all fit without touching, cook them in two batches — a crowded pan traps steam and steamed gnocchi will never crisp.
- Now leave them completely alone for 4 to 5 minutes. No stirring, no shaking. Lift one with tongs to check — you want a deep golden crust, not pale blond.
- Flip them once and cook another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side. Flipping once gives you two good crusts; stirring repeatedly gives you none.
Brown the Butter and Finish
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. It will foam up. Keep the pan moving gently for about 2 minutes until the foam subsides and you can see golden-brown flecks on the base — it should smell nutty and toasted.
- Add the garlic, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Toss for 30 to 60 seconds only. Garlic in browned butter burns fast, and burnt garlic is bitter enough to ruin the pan.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan and parsley, and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately. The crust softens within about ten minutes of sitting, so this is not a dish to plate up early.
Notes
Use shelf-stable gnocchi, not fresh or frozen. The vacuum-packed kind from the dry pasta aisle is drier and firmer and crisps beautifully. Refrigerated fresh gnocchi are softer and tend to collapse; frozen gnocchi release water into the pan and steam themselves.
Do not boil first, whatever the packet says. Packet instructions assume you are saucing them. Boiled gnocchi are waterlogged and will not take a crust.
Two batches beat one crowded pan every time. The whole recipe depends on each gnocchi touching hot metal.
Storage: Best eaten straight away — the crust is the point and it does not survive. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge; re-crisp in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes rather than microwaving.