Gnocchi sauce?

[SobaAddict70]

I made a bunch of gnocchi a couple days ago. My problem -- I need ideas as far as sauce.

I could do Marcella's tomato sauce in a pinch. While that sauce is amazing in its own right, I'd like to go in a different direction this time.

My preferences: I don't like sauces that have a million ingredients in them (unless it's a complex preparation like bolognese). I don't care about the cooking fat used.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Smithy]

I'm not sure where you define the "million ingredients" line, so these may be over it - but - what about a caper sauce or a puttanesca sauce?

[tino27]

Brown some butter, toss in some garlic and the cooked gnocchi. Toss until the gnocchi get a little color on them. Finish with some fresh sage. Plate and grate on the cheese of your choice (I like pecorino or parmesan).

[SobaAddict70]

Less is generally more.

Marcella's tomato sauce is an example. It's just tomatoes, butter, salt and half an onion.

A bolognese -- well, a good bolognese imho -- falls into the "million ingredients" category. I'm not opposed to making something like a bolognese, except it's not what I want to accompany the gnocchi, if that makes any sense.

Puttanesca seems like it could work, maybe. I don't want the gnocchi to be drowned by the competing flavor profiles though....

[SobaAddict70]

Brown some butter, toss in some garlic and the cooked gnocchi. Toss until the gnocchi get a little color on them. Finish with some fresh sage. Plate and grate on the cheese of your choice (I like pecorino or parmesan).

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Hummm, were you reading my mind?

I have everything in my pantry already.

Keep the ideas coming.

[slkinsey]

A classic would be gongonzola dolce melted and thinned with some cream or milk. I like to add just a hint of a floral grappa (grappa di moscato being a favorite for this) at the end.

[jm chen]

Brown up some thinly sliced shallots and wild mushrooms, deglaze with water or sherry or whatever you've got. Put the gnocchi in the pan, glug of olive oil, heavy on the pepper. Presto.

[SobaAddict70]

Brown up some thinly sliced shallots and wild mushrooms, deglaze with water or sherry or whatever you've got. Put the gnocchi in the pan, glug of olive oil, heavy on the pepper. Presto.

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I had been thinking of doing roasted mushrooms and cippolini onions tonight but that's another idea.

Choices, choices...

[ElsieD]

I recently had some prepared the way tino27 described. So simple, so good!

[slkinsey]

I will say that I believe gnocchi call for butter and not olive oil.

[Florida]

Another vote for Brown Butter and Sage.

Its as simple and classic a gnocchi sauce could possibly be.

[slkinsey]

Yes, brown butter and sage is a great classic for gnocchi. Most often, it's just that: nothing more than brown butter and a few (as in 2-3 small ones) whole sage leaves cooked in the butter. The sage isn't usually eaten, it just flavors the butter.

[Magictofu]

I find myself in the same situation.

Here's a few ideas I'd like to experiment with:

- Some kind of pesto/herb sauce, maybe with cream or a good amount of olive oil to use up my frozen herb reserve before summer.

- Bacon and tomato

- Tapenade diluted in olive oil

- Nuts and garlic

- The classic brown butter and sage

- Lemon and white wine sabayon with black pepper and chive

- Caramelized onions with veal stock, wine and butter

- Bacon and greens (e.g. swiss chard or kale)

- Vanilla and parmesan

- Beurre blanc Morels and asparagus

[dividend]

- Vanilla and parmesan

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Let's talk about this! I love vanilla in savory applications.

[Magictofu]

- Vanilla and parmesan

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Let's talk about this! I love vanilla in savory applications.

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Believe it or not, Ferran Adria once had a cooking show in spanish. In one of his show he made a simple pasta dish using parmesan, a vanilla bean and a bit of the cooking water from the pasta. I tried this very simple dish at home and it was superb... but I think a bit of extra butter would make it even better. I think it might work wonderfully with gnocchi... if you want to make it fancy you can probably ad a bit of cress or arugula on top.

[genarog]

My favorites are:

- Ragu (like the Braised Oxtail one served at Babbo)

- Carduta del Formaggio as Batali calls it. It's for green gnocchi but I've also made it with the traditional gnocchi.

[slkinsey]

Carduta del Formaggio as Batali calls it.

This seems like a fairly straight-forward gongonzola sauce such as the one I describe above. This would be used on most any kind of gnocchi (except not stuffed gnocchi).

I have to believe that "carduta" is a mistake. There is no such word in Italian of which I am aware. It's probably supposed to be caduta meaning "fallen" (from the cheese).

Another favorite gnocchi saucing I forgot is duck ragu, which is very good on gnocchi that have been made with some chestnut flour in addition.

[genarog]

Yes exactly; I watched the show years ago and Mario had fun grating the cheese from 3 feet over the pan.

It's probably supposed to be caduta meaning "fallen" (from the cheese).

[SobaAddict70]

Thanks for all the suggestions (some of which are worthwhile for future reference).

I think I'm going to go with the brown butter option, sans garlic.

There'll be a pic later in the dinner thread. I suppose I should have also mentioned there'll be other things on the plate.

[GordonCooks]

I've done Chorizo and smoked paprika before with some marjoram leaves thrown in at the finish.

[menuinprogress]

I've loved Mario Batali's gnocchi with sausage and fennel ever since I had it at Lupa years ago. His dish uses ricotta gnocchi (which are fantastic), but I'm sure it would be great with other gnocchi as well.

You can find the recipe here:

Ricotta Gnocchi with Sausage and Fennel