I think we’ve finally turned the corner into spring – HALLELUJAH! After a snow day last weekend, there is nothing but 50s and 60s in the forecast. The boys and I have gotten out for a couple walks and oh my word, its been so good for the soul. I’m going to be revisiting our Summer Bucket List here shortly – what’s at the top of yours?
Hopefully making this Crispy Gnocchi Piccata, aka the side dish slash light supper you’ll be making for the rest of your days!
As I’ve mentioned, I’m currently obsessed with crispy gnocchi AND lemon so when the idea to marry the two came to me a couple weeks ago I was pleased as punch to find the combo turned out even better then I imagined.
Crispy Gnocchi Piccata is store-bought, packaged gnocchi that’s sauteed in extra virgin olive oil until crispy (no need to boil first) then tossed with capers, a modest amount of butter, fresh lemon juice, and a ton of fresh baby spinach. Piccata usually calls for a mixing lemon, butter, and capers, but the spinach not only bulks up the recipe but gives it a healthy punch too. Ridiculously good!
Now that the weather is finally cooperating, and we’re going to be spending as much time outside as possible, I’ll be turning to quick and easy meals like this one more and more. Crispy Gnocchi Piccata is ready in about 10 minutes and the light, fresh flavor is perfect for warm nights. I can’t get enough!
Start by heating 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large, 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add 12oz shelf-stable gnocchi straight from the package (don’t boil first) then shake the pan to get the gnocchi into an even layer. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
I use these Delallo Gluten-Free Gnocchi for all my crispy gnocchi skillets and just love them! FYI – if you don’t have to eat gluten-free, regular gnocchi usually come in 16oz packages (vs 12oz) so bump up all the remaining ingredients a touch if using a whole package of regular gnocchi.
Continue to saute the gnocchi until fork tender and golden brown all over, 2-3 more minutes, then scoot them off to the side and add 2 Tablespoons butter (or vegan butter) and 1-1/2 Tablespoons drained capers to the cleared side of the skillet. Allow the butter to melt then toss everything together to combine.
Last step is to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into the skillet, followed by 4 cups baby spinach that have been roughly chopped. Saute until the spinach has just wilted, 1-2 minutes.
Give the dish a taste then add more lemon juice and/or salt if necessary.
That’s all she wrote! Absolutely DELICIOUS – so much so that it really doesn’t matter what you serve alongside this delectable little side dish, but sauteed chicken breasts and/or shrimp would round out the meal. However you serve it, I hope you love this fresh and tasty recipe – ENJOY!!
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Crispy Gnocchi Piccata
Description
Crispy Gnocchi Piccata is a quick and delicious gluten-free side dish or light main that's full of fresh, zesty flavor. Ready in under 10 minutes, too!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12oz shelf-stable gluten-free gnocchi (I use Delallo)
- 2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 1-1/2 Tablespoon drained capers (or more!)
- 4 packed cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 lemon
Directions
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large, 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add gnocchi then arrange into a single layer and saute until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes. Stir then continue to saute until the gnocchi are fork-tender and golden brown all over, 2-3 additional minutes, stirring often. Push gnocchi to one side of the skillet then add the butter and capers to the cleared side of the skillet and allow butter to melt. Once melted, toss everything to combine.
- Add a drizzle of fresh lemon juice and chopped spinach then saute until spinach wilts, 1-2 minutes. Taste then add more lemon juice and/or salt if necessary. Serve immediately.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Rachel 04.22.2018
I love your site! Curious about using EVOO and high heat? I thought extra virgin olive oil wasn’t suppose to be used to saute? Thoughts?
Kristin 04.24.2018
Hi Rachel! You are right – when cooking a stir fry for example, on high heat, you’d want to use canola, coconut, grapeseed, avocado or another cooking oil that’s specifically made for cooking at high temperatures. These gnocchi are pan fried on medium-high at the hottest so extra virgin olive oil is just fine to use!
Adrienne 04.22.2018
So loved your gnocchi recipe with chicken and bacon. Husband who has cancer and now doesn’t like many foods ate 2 helpings! Looking forward to trying this one. Thanks for the book recommendation. Also great suggestions from your blog followers. Love your blog.
Kristin 04.24.2018
I’m so sorry to hear about your husband, Adrienne, and am so glad he found something to enjoy eating. My very best wishes to you both! <3
angie thomas 04.22.2018
This looks so yummy… I can’t wait to try it! Yes, I totally agree on the social media thing. One of my favorite recent reads was The Breakdown; I’ve added two of the books you recommended..The Woman in the Window and The Great Alone look awesome.
Kristin 04.24.2018
Thanks Angie! Hope you love the new books!
Holly 04.21.2018
Try reading the essays posted daily on coffee and crumbs blog. I LOVE this motherhood blog and the stories the women share. So beautiful. I started listening to their podcast which you can find on their site as well and it’s such a breath of fresh air! When I don’t feel like reading that’s what I’ve been turning to. Also the book long days of small things which I heard about through them bc they guest invited the author on their podcast (drawing a blank on her name) is beautiful so far. Look it up to see if it’s down your alley. It is faith based. The second chapter literally had me in tears… it was that beautifully thought provoked and well written and another aspect of motherhood I just never even had thought about.
Kristin 04.24.2018
Thanks for the recommendation, Holly! I follow C&C on Instagram but don’t think I’ve ever actually visited the blog. I’ll so do that. Thank you again!
S 04.20.2018
Hi! I remember that you said that you studied in Japan – with that in mind, you should read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It’s a historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of WWII-era Korea and Japan. So sweeping and emotional – by the second page I could tell that I was in the hands of an incredible storyteller. Please check it out!
Kristin 04.24.2018
Amazing! And yes, great memory, S. I will definitely check it out. Thanks for your recommendation!
Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids 04.20.2018
Yummy! Also, I have to say that I’m all about the social media cleanse as well and was doing well this winter not doing mindless “thumbing” throughout the day but lately I’ve gotten bad, especially before bed which is the worst time all of all to do it for sleep reasons. I need to get back on track and between you and another site I’ve read just this afternoon I’m motivated to do just that! Have a great weekend Kristin!
Kristin 04.24.2018
Yes, same Val! I’d prolong sleep so I could swipe through social media for 30 minutes first? Dumb. I feel so much better now. Hope you’re doing well and are enjoying the gorgeous weather this week!
Cari 04.20.2018
I loved the Nightingale so I’ll definitely be downloading The Great Alone! I highly recommend “Mudbound.” It’s not an easy read in some parts but it’s so good. Then you can watch the movie (currently on Netflix).
Kristin 04.24.2018
Awesome! I’ll check it out, Cari – thanks for the recommendation! I hope you love The Great Alone.
Smitha @ Running with SD Mom 04.20.2018
Looks amazing! And please read The Alice Network! It is one of the best books I have read in a long time!
Kristin 04.24.2018
Ooo, ok! Will go check that out now – thanks Smitha!
Sara Wright 04.20.2018
Ummm. Did anyone else see that Trader Joes now has a cauliflower gnocchi product now?! Buying ASAP.
Kristin 04.24.2018
WOAH! Report back and let us know what you think, if you get a a chance!
Betsy 04.20.2018
Good lord this looks delicious. I can’t get enough lemon lately so this is going to be a total win at my house.
ALSO. That ding-dong electrician can take a SEAT. *insert eye roll*
Kristin 04.24.2018
HA, yes, ding dong indeed!!! ;) Goodbye, sir.
Melani 04.20.2018
If you like WW2 fiction, I highly recommend “We Were the Lucky Ones”. Tough read, but so so good, especially since it’s based on a true story. I also recently enjoyed “A Man Called Ove”, about a crusty old man who forms some unlikely friendships.
Kristin 04.24.2018
Wow, just read the summary for We Were the Lucky Ones – sounds like a good one. Thank you for the recommendation, Melani!
Nancy 04.20.2018
Sounds yummy, Kristin! We have some gnocchi here, and look forward to making this recipe soon!
Kristin 04.24.2018
I hope you love it, Nancy!
krista 04.20.2018
Have you read The Nightingale by this same author? Fantastic. And I feel like I’m 3 years behind the rest of the world here, but I read ‘Big Little Lies’ recently and it was great – super fast read and a great story without being really heavy.
Kristin 04.24.2018
Yes, ugh, one of my very favorites!! I haven’t read Big Little Lies as I watched the TV series last year. Have you seen? AMAZING!
Shirley 04.20.2018
I went a car dealership once to pre-look for a new car. The guy just kept saying that he’d rather my husband be with me for all the information and test drive. Said that he didn’t want to have to go through it with me alone even after telling him I usually pick the car for us!!! Arghh…. On another note, thanks for including the picture of the gnocchi that you use! It’s so helpful to see what to look for in the gluten-free section that is ok to cook with for celiac!
Kristin 04.24.2018
So obnoxious! Hope you were able to find a different sales person!!
Sharon 04.20.2018
This will be a side for dinner next week. The IGE recipes I make most often are Mongolian Beef Noodle Bowls, Honey and Balsamic Onions Chicken Skillet and Chicken Bacon Rice Bowls except I add toasted pine nuts to it.
I read Lilac Girls and thought it was outstanding. If you like historical fiction, I just finished I Was Anastasia which was very good too. I felt let down at the ending of The Tuscan Child. Now I am about midway through Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton. So far so good.
Thanks for sharing so many yummy recipes.
Kristin 04.24.2018
Oh you made my day! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes so much! Ben put a little spin on this Bacon Chicken Rice Bowls earlier this week – seasoned the chicken with homemade lemon pepper seasoning then added butter to the rice. YUM. :) I just finished Lilac Girls last month – so, so good. WW2 fiction is a huge favorite of mine. I will check out Hurricane Season – than you for the rec!
Beth Risdon 04.20.2018
We had your crispy gnocchi with bacon/chicken last night…one of my faves. Will have to try this one as well!
Kristin 04.24.2018
It’s a tie between how much I love both of them! Hope you enjoy this version too, Beth!
KD 04.20.2018
I just finished Lilac Girls at your recommendation, and loved it! Recently I read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and really like it – quirky, but def not fluffy. Or if you like to read thrillers, the book My Husbands Wife was great.
Side note – last night we made your crunchy taco skillet – all of my kids love that one!
Kristin 04.24.2018
I feel like I need a thriller in my life – I’ve been reading WW2 fiction for years, it feels like – time for a change. Thanks for the rec, KD!
Sarah 04.20.2018
Ugh, I hate when men do that. I’m an engineer and I get that on occasion when meeting with clients, drives me crazy. Top of our summer to do list is going to the water park. They had a crazy good deal on season tickets so we jumped on them. With a 2 year old and 7 month old we never wanted to go with a day pass b/c they are so expensive and the kids only last like 3 hours. With a season pass we can go every weekend for a few hours. I’m counting down the days until opening day!
Kristin 04.24.2018
Totally feel you on the season passes – sometimes hard to swallow paying so much up front but so, so worth it when the kids are young and you have no idea how long they’ll last each trip. Have FUN!
Jane 04.20.2018
That looks delicious! Also… I applaud you for not completely losing your cool with that awful mansplainer electrician. (Can you imagine talking to a client that way?!) I fear if I’d been in your shoes, I would’ve put on a bimbo act, cocked my head to one side, and said “gee, do you think I need someone else here? Like, my lawyer? Yeah, let me see how quickly she can get here.”
(Either that or “gosh, you’re right, we need a male present for this! BRB! Don’t you go anywhere!” and then returning with my two year old rocking bed hair and his Mickey diaper. “Ok! He’s ready to weigh in on this.”) Grumble. :)
Angela 04.20.2018
Literally lol’d! Totally using the lawyer line next time this happens to me.
Kristin 04.24.2018
LOVE. IT. Oh my gosh, it was so bad. I had to check the calendar to make sure I was still living in 2018. ?
Beth Ann Chiles 04.20.2018
That looks amazingly tasty and easy and I have some gnocchi in my pantry. Time to get some spinach! Thanks for a great recipe!