Spicy Gnocchi with Fennel and Mushrooms

The Case for A Pantry Full of Gnocchi

Being in charge of dinnertime—particularly on weeknights—can make a person feel like a short-order cook because you’ve got to deliver, night after night, and you’ve (usually) got to be quick about it. But that doesn’t mean you’re limited to scrambled eggs and grilled cheese! This speedy, easy gnocchi sauce recipe gets its magic from a few simple, powerful ingredients and is sure to please! Fennel bulbs sit right at the center of this recipe. They taste bright, herbaceous and springy and, best of all, are in season in the winter. If you’ve ever seen them at the market and skipped over them because you weren’t sure how you’d use a fennel bulb, this easy gnocchi recipe is your answer!

What You’ll Need To Make the Best Gnocchi Sauce Ever

Sauce is maybe a generous word for the lovely amalgamation of things that come together to make this gnocchi recipe work so deliciously well. The olive oil becomes slightly scented with the fennel bulbs, the mushrooms release their earthy goodness and that melds into the boiled gnocchi as they all scooch around together in the skillet. And then, then, we pull it all together with those flaming red-hot Calabrian chilies. If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, we are referring to these lovely Calabrian chilies. You can buy them online, but they’re also widely available at Trader Joe’s. Preserved in oil and salt, these chilies aren’t just a source of spicy heat—though they are that—they also add a ton of savoriness to any dish. A little goes a long way, too. That one tablespoon of Calabrian chilies will season the whole skillet! All that said, if you don’t have these in your pantry yet, it’s OK to substitute a few teaspoons of chili flakes. It won’t be quite the same, but it will do in a pinch! OK, so other than those chilies, and some salt and pepper, what will you need to make this quick, easy gnocchi? Not much! Here’s your list:

• Fennel bulbs

• Olive oil

• Mushrooms

• Gnocchi (you can use the shelf-stable stuff, or the packaged gnocchi that you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Any packaged gnocchi will work.)

• Fresh parsley

OK, but How Fast Is Fast? How Easy Is Easy?

So fast! So very easy—like about 20 minutes and very little brain-power required. Truly! Give us 20 minutes and your most minimal baseline effort and we’ll give you a dinner that feels downright restaurant-y. Here’s how to make the best gnocchi sauce ever:

1. Sauté the fennel with a bit of oil. Sprinkle it with salt and then cover the skillet and leave the fennel to cook for about 5 minutes.

2. This is a great moment to get the gnocchi cooked. 5 minutes in boiling water and you're done!

3. Back to the gnocchi sauce! Add the mushrooms to the skillet, then the chilies, parsley, gnocchi, salt and pepper.

4. Stir everything together until it looks like one cohesive, irresistible dinner!

Tools You’ll Need

• Stock pot

• Skillet (with a lid)

• Colander

• Sharp knife

• Cutting board

More Gnocchi Sauce Recipes To Try

• Baked Gnocchi

• Brown Butter Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

• Creamy Baked Gnocchi with Broccoli

• Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli Pesto

• Mushroom Alfredo Cauliflower Gnocchi

The Need for Speed

We all need trusty, quick, simple recipes that give us bang for buck and make the people we are rushing to feed happy, too. With a grocery list short enough to remember easily and a cooking method that can largely be summed up as “sauté stuff”, it’s within reach for home cooks of any experience level and simultaneously interesting enough for just about any food lover. If you make it, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!