Divine intervention made me do it.  I swear.

That’s what I’m going to say when asked why I decided to make gnocchi when I should have been studying for my exam.  Especially given my track record with gnocchi.  Which is to say that the first and only batch of potato gnocchi I’ve ever made.  Took eight hours.  And concluded with me (shockingly) covered in flour.  And exhausted.

So what was going through my mind?

Like I said.  Divine intervention.  I had a feeling.

It was kind of as if some higher power had picked me up.  Carried me to the kitchen.  And put the container of ricotta in my hands.

And then whispered, “Come on.  All the cool kids are doing it.

I tried to reason with him.

I said.  “You know. Actually.  I think all the cool kids are learning about the four types of hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylactic, cytotoxic, immune complex-mediated, and cell-mediated) .  And the three virulence factors that make Staph aureus such a bitch (enterotoxin, toxic shock syndrome toxin, and exfoliatin toxin).”

Somehow.  He wasn’t buying it.

And so I had to give in.  I mean, this wasn’t peer pressure.  I can handle peer pressure.  I handle peer pressure every weekend when I decide not to drink my liver into an early grave.  No.  This was divine intervention pressure.

I didn’t stand a chance.

On the bright side, it means I’m two weeks early for the next Symon Sundays round-up.  Talk about being on top of things!

On the other bright side, it means that I got to eat this yesterday.  And, to be fair.  I needed a dish this good to be the one bright spot in a day otherwise occluded with B cells, T cells, and dendritic cells.

It’s all about the little things.  And sometimes those little things are crispy fried puffs of ricotta.

Yeah.  Sometimes they really are.

Symon likens this dish to a celebration of spring.  Yes, I know just two days ago I was insisting that we celebrate summer.  I take it back.  Let’s celebrate spring.

His original recipe calls for morel mushrooms and spring peas.  Well.  Let me tell you something about morel mushrooms.  They are elusive. And when I finally found some, dried.  They were twelve dollars.  For three mushrooms.  And three mushrooms do not a mushroom sauce make.

So.  Since I could not fathom spending more than twelve dollars on mushrooms.  (Let’s be real.  I could fathom it.  But I couldn’t justify it.)  I abandoned ship.  Used some nice green beans that I had in my fridge.  And I have to say.  Between the lemony, parmesan-infused brown butter sauce. The pillows of ricotta.  And the green bean/pea mixture.  I was happy.  Very happy.

Bonus – these only took one hour to make.  Take that potato gnocchi.  Take. That.

Crispy Gnocchi with Green Beans and Peas
Serves 4, adapted from Live To Cook

Gnocchi
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup part-skim ricotta, drained overnight
1 large egg

1. For the gnocchi dough, combine the flour, parmesan, lemon zest and salt in a bowl.  Add in the ricotta and egg, mixing with a wooden spoon until just combined.

2. Pat the dough into a square and cut into three equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a foot long rope, flouring as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to everything.  Place the dough ropes onto a lightly floured plate or rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered for 5 minutes to 2 hours.  I refrigerated for about 1 hour.

3. After the dough as rested, cut each rope into 1/2-inch pieces with a knife.  Set aside.

Sauce
4 tbsp butter (Symon calls for eight)
1 lb string beans (or 12 medium morels)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
12 fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup frozen peas (Symon calls for fresh)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put two tbsp of butter in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat.  When the butter foams, add the string beans and saute, until they begin to soften.  About 7 minutes.  Add the shallot and saute, seasoning with a pinch of salt.  Add the garlic and parsley, then reduce the heat to medium.  Add the lemon juice and peas, sauteing just until the peas are heated through.  Turn the heat off and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat in another, larger saute pan.  When the butter becomes brown and fragrant, add the gnocchi to the pan and cook.  Turn as necessary until they are brown and crisp on all sides.  They may seem like they are sticking to the pan at first but that means they haven’t crisped sufficiently yet.  Once they are crisp, they will easily be turned.  This was probably the hardest part for me.  Getting them to turn without them falling apart.

3. Pour in the morel and pea sauce, turning to coat.  Add the parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp water.  Allow the sauce ingredients to emulsify and form a silken coating, 1-2 minutes.  Serve.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights which is being hosted this week by Kirsten of Kirsten’s Kitchen.  It will also be featured in the Symon Sundays round up in two weeks!

Also.  A few things.  Eats Well With Others is featured on Recipe4Living this week!  This site is a great resource for finding recipes when you just don’t know what to cook!  I will also be hosting a guest post on the Marx Foods site that will go up today at 9AM (EST)!  Be sure to check it out.

AND.  Last but not least.  Regional Recipes: GREECE!  Send your delicious recipes to [email protected] by the end of the month!

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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93 Responses to Crispy Gnocchi with Green Beans and Peas – Symon Sundays

  1. hey you. i know this comment isn’t about gnochii with green beans and peas (i hate peas, btw) but i just saw on my friend chrissy’s wall B posted and was asking how she was doing. i TTOALLY had a feeling he was into her than me. LOVELY. LOVELY. im’ not jealous, just like dude, if you wanted to hang with her, you should have said so. so glad i deleted his number. i really wanna UNFACEbook him RIGHT NOW. and i might.

  2. Simply Life says:

    oh that looks great and is definitely better than studying 🙂

  3. SE says:

    Divine intervention !!! This surely looks divine !! all the best for your exams !

  4. Pam says:

    Your recipe sounds great and I would have never thought of combining string beans and peas. Great combo for sure!

    I know what you mean about the morels. Love to find them in wooded areas, cheaper and delicious! The neighbors would cringe when my parents did that and thought for sure it was going to kill us all. 😉

  5. Gnocchi is in the freezer from a previous foray into pasta world. I love the frying and the veggies:D

  6. Divine intervention is such a force that shouldn’t be reckoned with. Smartypants for not fighting it and giving in. MMMM yummy stuff you’ve got! And YAY to greece as the roundup theme. CANT WAIT.

  7. elra says:

    Such a delicious meal for summer Joanne. I like it when the green bean still retain the color and crunchy, some people cook them too long.

  8. This looks so tempting! All the best for your exams!

  9. I’ve made this before (not with green beans, I just used crimini instead of morel ‘shrooms) and it was incredible! I like your version a lot – looks much healthier with all those extra veggies!

  10. Katerina says:

    I love gnocchi. Once again you tried something that needs effort. They look delicious. By the way, when you decide to visit Greece, I will be more than happy to meet you.

  11. Ameena says:

    How on earth do you have time to cook such amazing things when you are studying for exams? You should see me when I have so much going on that I don’t have time to cook properly. I can assure you that gnocchi is not on the menu!!

    Looks delicious though, I LOVE green beans.

  12. Julie says:

    gnocchi and green beans are brain food. therefore it’s okay that you cooked instead of studied because simply by eating the two of these superfoods you automatically will ace your exam.

    see? all better 😉

  13. I cannot wait to make this today!

  14. Marisa says:

    That pesky divine intervention… what’s a girl to do? But dayum, this looks good! Glad that the intervention took place. Now it gives me the opportunity to drool on my keyboard on the other side of the world. Kismet!

  15. saveur says:

    I love pan-fried ricotta gnocchi! Steamy Kitchen’s pan-fried lemon ricotta gnocchi are to-die for and look similar to your recipe. I know these were delicious, too, then!

  16. Biren says:

    Crispy gnocchi and green beans…looks so delish! All the best for your exams!

  17. Mo Diva says:

    gnocchi sounds so easy to make! i would love to try this recipe! i adore gnocchi but was always intimidated by the sound of making it by hand.

    And I agree $12 for mushrooms isnt justifiable (YET)… now if you were to say, invite me over for dinner, $12 for mushrooms might be justifiable… jk

  18. Dana says:

    I only attempted potato gnocchi once and have used store-bought ever since. Glad to know that ricotta is more well-behaved. Fresh morels are everywhere here but even so they are super expensive. Like upwards of $30/lb. I’ve never been to justify buying more than a few. (Plus, they look like little brains, don’t you think? Not good for a veg.)

  19. Julia says:

    Loooove Gnocchi, never had it with beans and peas – will have to try this recipe when I have time on my hands to cook dinner 🙂 Looks great

  20. Dawn says:

    I once spent as long making a caramelized onion lasagna. There were so many steps it literally took me all day! The gnocchi look amazing though. Great job.

  21. Great job with the gnocchi…great photos as well.

    Cheers!

  22. Crispy gnocchi sound fantastic – my daughter would really like that! Super healthy with the veggies too!

  23. R. says:

    Yeah, pretty hard to go wrong with pan fried RICOTTA GNOCCHI! So, so, so good! Looks amazing! I found some dried morels for a decent price at a local market.

  24. Your gnocchi looks so perfect and savroy as does this whole dish. you can call it what you want – just don’t forget to call me to dinner!

  25. sophia says:

    Praise the Lord that He spoke to you! Gosh, I already love gnocchi…but CRISPY ones?!! AMAAAAAZING!!

  26. Juliana says:

    Joanne, I would love to try this version of gnocchi…since I love gnocchi…and crispy…sounds and looks very yummie.

  27. Erica says:

    Simply lovely.This recipe sounds fantastic.Delicious flavors.

  28. Kristen says:

    So funny… Divine intervention-love it! Mind if I use it? BTW, your recipe looks amazing! My family loves green beans. Gotta try this!

  29. Doesn’t matter a bit how long this gnocchi took to cook as it looks so worth it. You say it best right here:
    “The pillows of ricotta. And the green bean/pea mixture. I was happy.”
    Got it, happy I’m sure 🙂 xo

  30. And on the other bright side you shared this will all of us!

  31. Pam says:

    Woman, you are KILLING ME!!! I’ve always wanted to make gnocci but have been scared to attempt it…thanks for giving me the courage. 🙂

  32. Pam says:

    Oops. I meant gnocchi. Silly me.

  33. Faith says:

    You mean that in 1 hour I can have crispy gnocchi bliss?! I seriously need to pick up some ricotta. 😉

  34. msmeanie says:

    Joanne, you rock! First off, I am so impressed that you made gnocchi in an hour! OK, I think you have officially convinced me to stop being a wuss and get over my fear of making gnocchi. A-gnochhi I will make! And soon too. Secondly, you are awesome for replacing beans (delicious, cheap, healthy) for morels (expensive much?) and making a fantastic-looking (and I’m sure tasting) dish!

  35. Amy says:

    I do prefer the ricotta gnocchi over the potato, although both are melt-in-your-mouth awesome. I’ve decided that all wild mushrooms are crazy expensive. Every time I get a hankering, the sticker shock stops me dead in my tracks. So, I end up cooking with button and baby portabellas. Boring, but at least I won’t go into debt over a friggin’ mushroom.

  36. Kelsey says:

    it must be ur wonderful ability to stop times haha.. no the reason u cooked that dish up so quickly yet would be something gordon ramsay would envy is because ur brilliant! YUM

  37. Chris says:

    When you say “drained overnight” for the ricotta, is that putting it in a tea towel over a bowl like you do to make regular yogurt more like greek yogurt?

  38. Kim says:

    I bet this meal was just what you needed to get back into studying. The crispy gnocchi look SO good and I like your substitution with the green beans. Looks delish! Symon sure is crazy about browned butter, isn’t he?

    Earlier you commented about the egg allergy and baked goods. They have some kind of egg substitute for people with allergies and I think it works pretty well. However, Jackson’s also allergic to flour so baked goods are pretty much out. I’ve tried a lot of the gluten free products, but he doesn’t seem to like them at all. I think that’s why he likes popsicles and ice cream (w/out eggs) so much. Food allergies are some crazy business. I wish there was something that could be done to fix it. Maybe one day!

  39. Esi says:

    My asparagus obsession has given way to green beans. I kind of want this now.

  40. Mari says:

    when I was younger, my bestfriend’s grandmother would always make fresh gnocchi…I would always go out of my way to go to her house after school just to go eat some hahaha…

  41. Donna-FFW says:

    Can I pretty please have some of your energy? The gnocchi sound fantastic.. it is one thing I always always have trouble with!

  42. Lea Ann says:

    I agree with Donna…gimme some of that energy. ok, I heard someone at a restaurant arguing last week…you say “no-kee”, I say “knock-ee” I always thought it was “no-kee” what do you think?

  43. Raina says:

    This looks amazing. It is funny..I had never heard of ricotta gnocchi until someone happened to mention it to me today and then I see your post..strange..huh? This is an incredibly delish sounding recipe. The flavors sound so good. I like that you substituted the mushrooms. I would not want to pay that much either.

  44. Naomi says:

    This looks amazing! I’m going to have to make this. Just found your blog via your comment on mine. I love it-beautiful, beautiful photos!

  45. I like the crust on the gnocchi recipe, and I like that it is full of cheese!

  46. Azita says:

    this crispy gnocchi looks so tasty.love green beans. yummy! beautiful photos.

  47. I’ve never wanted to try making gnocchi . . . until NOW!

    This looks amazing. And Thanks! for not studying!

    Donna

  48. polwig says:

    Gnocchi are mu husband’s favorite. This looks like perfect study food, surely beats ramen. On the other hand if you decide after all these long years of studing that you do not want to practice medicine I hear you can make some good money in Morel Mushroom buisness especially with background information on fungi 🙂 Good Luck on Exams !!!

  49. i love the idea of crispy gnocchi nom

  50. jacqui says:

    I tried making gnocchi a few years ago, I thought it was going well until I broke the motor in my food processor! I should have known better and made them with my own two hands! Yours looks great.

  51. RamblingTart says:

    Oh my, Joanne! I’ve made gnocchi before but never a CRISPY version! I love that idea. 🙂

  52. Mary says:

    What a fabulous meal. Good luck with the exams. Smile and remember nothing lasts forever :-). Have a great day. Blessings…Mary

  53. Dish looks fresh and beautiful…

  54. Chef Dennis says:

    your gnocchi’s look so very very good!! They go so well with those beans, a better choice than morels, and I think the cheese gnocchi’s are much better!

  55. grace says:

    delicious gnocchi in an hour? be still my ever-beating heart! this looks great, joanne, way more worthy of your time than studying. 🙂
    incidentally, ‘gnocchi’ was a word in the big spelling bee last week. talk about a gimme. 🙂

  56. I made gnocchi too and I have to say that homemade gnocchi is the best!

  57. Johanna GGG says:

    I love the idea of gnocchi that only takes an hour – it always takes me far too long and leaves every thing in the kitchen including me covered in flour – but pan fried definitely has a come-hither quality about it

  58. How many hours, did you say? 8? wow Joanne, this is what I call “labour of love”.

    Your crisp gnocchi dish looks perfect with the green beans.

  59. Barbara says:

    Love your gnocchi, Joanne. It’s what I order everytime in an Italian restaurant. I’ve never made it though. Symon’s recipe makes it look easier than most…I’ll try.
    I adore morels. And if you can’t forage for them yourself, they are prohibitive in price. Wow. Sometimes I break down and buy them, but I have to be desperate for a morel fix.

  60. Sippity Sup says:

    Your perseverance and creativity paid off in the gnocchi department. But how’d the exam go? GREG

  61. Cristie says:

    Gnocchi is not one of my high points so I’m completely impressed with your work. It looks beautiful and your time frame is incredible. How did the test go?

  62. knk says:

    wow healthy green beans looks delicious
    have to eat this

  63. Pam says:

    This is the second gnocchi recipe I’ve seen this morning…more divine intervention??

  64. gnochi is amazing-crispy gnochi is perfection! yum!

  65. I kind of don’t mind doing long kitchen projects but then when it’s eaten in 5 minutes, sometimes I wonder if it’s worth all the trouble?!

    Your gnocchi looks delish though Joanne!!

  66. MaryMoh says:

    Looks delicious….mmmm. I love that well browned gnocchi. I love the beans too. So, this whole plate must be very delicious.

  67. Claudia says:

    Congratulations on your Cook the Books Club win. And, did you like the crispy version of gnocchi better than boiled? I’ve never made it, and keep saying I will. This is certainly inspiration enough.

  68. Congrats for being featured! And I bet a little break for some delicious sustenance surely helped in the end. Brain food. Mind-blowing brain food! I never saw gnocchi cooked this way – can’t wait to try it.

  69. Maria says:

    Love the crispy gnocchi! Congrats to you!

  70. oh yum yum…too bad i won’t be attempting gnocchi from scratch anytime soon (i can’t risk another heart break). thinking of store bought ones 😀

  71. At first I thought you were absolutely insane for making gnocchi after the previous debacle. Then I realized you were studying micro/immuno and completely understood.

    I don’t miss those days in the least.

    I’m coming over for dinner next month. I expect gnocchi because this looks soooooo good!

  72. Love this idea…looks great

  73. Caronae says:

    Pasta was my favorite food as a child. Except gnocchi. There was something about gnocchi that made me hate it. Very much. But you made it sound so seriously delicious here (you should be a food writer — I bet you could even get me to eat a tomato if you wrote about it sappily enough!) that I may have to try the little buggers once again. Especially since they involve ricotta and paremsan. Noms.

    Good luck on the exams! You’re so close!

  74. Elizabeth says:

    I thought about making gnocchi once. Then I had a vision of my entire kitchen covered in flour and decided against it. These might inspire me, though… they look like they’d be delicious!

  75. PJ says:

    oh yes, i know what you mean, that was a divine intervention.. nothing else you could have done, why even fight 😉 gnocchi looks so yummy and tempting, i much like your version over the morels (just because its so tough to find them). congrats on being featured in the recipes4living.. thats great!

  76. Carolyn Jung says:

    I love the pillowy tenderness of ricotta gnocchi. They’re easier to make, too, than the potato ones. I think you made a wise choice to take time out from studying to make this dish. After all, you need your sustenance BEFORE you crack open the textbooks, right?

  77. Kelsey says:

    im reading a great book called “Food is not the problem, deal with what is!” basically what im taking form it is about not letting my thoughts cause me to not do the things i want to in life. its helping me break certain habits and figure out why i do certain things i do.. its really interesting 🙂

  78. Julie says:

    I think green beans are way better than mushrooms anyway, and give it some great color. Fried ricotta puffs? Be still my heart!

  79. tigerfish says:

    Your crispy gnocchi is as nicely charred as those gyozas 🙂 …geez, your eight-hours is well-spent, okay?

  80. Ruth Daniels says:

    Great post – as usual. And the gnocchi look amazing. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights. See you at the roundup.

  81. Debinhawaii says:

    Yep-I would pick this over studying too. 😉 My one gnocchi attempt took me too long–these look easier and very delicious!

  82. Cynthia says:

    I adore gnocchi!!Especially pan fried! I think I might hear that same divine intervention calling for me to make gnocchi too…

  83. Shirley says:

    Divine indeed, do tell us what became of the exams. Any divine intervention there?

  84. daphne says:

    It surely says spring to me for this dish!! Crisp gnocchi! I would love to taste this crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside gnocchi.

  85. Kerstin says:

    I love your green bean substitution and the thought of crispy gnocchi is making my mouth water!

  86. Eliana says:

    Hmmm – I’ve never had crispy gnocchi. Looks super delish.

  87. Karen says:

    I’m going to make gnocchi one of these days. I like that these are fried 🙂

  88. Pan fried gnocchi is one of the most delicious things ever. Especially ricotta gnocchi yumm. I’ve made one similar to this before and should make it again soon! Also it seems like we were studying a lot of the same stuff. Hope your finals went well!

  89. LahTeaDah says:

    Oh La La! My husband is Italian I think he might just LOVE this recipe. I shall try it this weekend!!

    THANKS

    XOXO
    Yours Truly

    http://www.lahteadah.blogspot.com

  90. dining table says:

    What a very healthy and delicious looking dish this is. Something new to make to the green beans.

  91. Alyssa says:

    Joanne, this looks so good! I love gnocchi. I’ll have to try this out sometime soon. Thanks for sharing!

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