Don't Forget Gnocchi...

I am so sorry to be missing in action, dear readers. That croup from the other day got worse, and I have been hacking myself awake all night. I finally got the drugs I need, and am feeling better able to bake, cook, and generally face the world.

Getting on to business, I have two important announcements:

(1) If, by chance, you happen to live in the Pittsburgh area, I will be doing some puff pastry demonstrations for Pepperidge Farm this Saturday (December 13th) at two Giant Eagle Market District stores. I would love to have you stop by. Moreover, the first 50 people to stop by will receive a free copy of my Puff Pastry Perfection book. Free book, free samples, good cheer, and you can get some shopping done, too--stop by and say "hi"!

Here are the locations and times:

South Hills Village Square
7000 Oxford Drive, Village Square, Bethel Park, PA 15102
Demo time 11 – 1pm

Shadyside Market District
5550 Centre Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Demo Time 2-4

(2) Second on the agenda is dinner. Easy, cozy dinner. I'm talking gnocchi.

I don't know why I forget about gnocchi so often. It's a dish I almost always order when it's on an Italian menu, it's right there with the pasta, and it's even faster to prepare than pasta.

I looked up and saw it on the top shelf of the pasta aisle section last week, so I scooped up three packages to have on hand. Come Tuesday of this week, when I was feeling particularly crummy, but nevertheless hungry, said gnocchi came to the rescue.

I am more than happy to fork up my gnocchi with a bit of butter and a crumble of cheese, or a light toss of marinara sauce, but I was craving salty, so I made a half-batch of one of my favorite pasta recipes--Double Olive Pasta--from epicurious and used the gnocchi in place of the pasta.
This is one of my parents' favorite pasta dishes, too; I don't make it often, because Kevin is not a fan of olives, but considering I was the one in need of some California-style soul food, I decided to make it anyway (and he ate it anyway; have I mentioned that he's great?).

It hit the spot, and I'm thinking of sticking with gnocchi for this dish from here on out; the potato pillows have a faint sweetness that complements the briny olives.

Whether you try this recipe, or a gnocchi dish that's far simpler (you can use any sauce you choose), do throw a few packages (and a bottle or two of marinara; oh, and some chopped frozen spinach, too, it's such an easy, healthy add-on) into the basket on your next supermarket visit; you'll be so glad you did in the days to come.

Quick Double Olive Gnocchi

Look for packages of potato gnocchi in the pasta section of your supermarket.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a large red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce cans ready-cut tomatoes with juices
1/2 cup sliced pitted black olives
1/2 cup sliced pitted green olives
1 1-pound package vacuum-sealed potato gnocchi
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional: chopped flat-leaf parsley & additional grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and black and green olives; simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 8 minutes.

While sauce simmers, cook the gnocchi according to package directions in the pot of boiling water; drain.

Add cooked gnocchi and the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; toss until sauce coats gnocchi. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per Serving (1/4 of recipe):
Calories 261; Fat 3.3g (poly 1.6g, mono 1.4g, sat 0g); Protein 7.1g; Cholesterol 41mg; Carbohydrate 51.4g; Fiber 3.6; Sodium 613mg)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)