Brussel Sprouts and Gnocchi in Rosemary Butter Sauce

Brussel Sprouts and Gnocchi in Rosemary Butter Sauce

As Andy continues to recover from his stroke, we are slowly starting to entertain again. No big parties, just small, more intimate dinners with friends. I experimented with this recipe on Andy, Bella and our friend Laurie. It was a lovely evening and reunion with an old friend, as in longtime friend not old as in age!

This is another recipe from my latest cookbook acquisition called Half Baked Harvest Every Day: Recipes for Balanced, Flexible, Feel-Good Meals. I’ve included information on the book at the end of this post.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Serves four to six

Ingredients

3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (the recipe says it is optional but, in our house, we firmly believe EVERYTHING is better with bacon!)

1 lb Brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered, or trimmed and halved if small.

Fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter (I missed the ‘salted’ part and used unsalted Irish butter instead… we added more salt and pepper at the dinner table)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or Sauvignon Blanc (or any one of our lovely Colorado wines from Palisade!)

24 oz cooked Cauliflower Gnocchi (page 119) or store-bought gnocchi of your choice (I went with the later as I don’t have the bandwidth yet to make my own gnocchi and I couldn’t find Cauliflower gnocchi in any of our stores!)

Directions

Cook the bacon. Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. The recipe says about five minutes, but I find my kind of crispy takes a wee bit longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel (I find the towel helps absorb some of the grease.) Leave the bacon fat in the pan for cooking. If you aren’t using the bacon, heat two tablespoons of olive oil until it shimmers.

Next add the Brussel sprouts to the skillet and sauté over medium heat, cut side down, season with salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed, until the sprouts begin crisping on the edges (make sure you keep a watchful eye as you can easily burn the sprouts at this step). After about three to four minutes, toss the sprouts, add the olive oil and continue cooking until crispy all the way through. Transfer Brussel sprouts to the plate with the bacon.

Cook the gnocchi according to the directions on the container.

To the same skillet (I always love a recipe that uses minimal number of pans) and over medium heat, add the butter, garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook stirring occasionally, until the butter is lightly browned, and the sauce is fragrant, about four or five minutes. Pour in the broth and wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the sauce has reduced slightly, again about five more minutes. Drop the cooked gnocchi into the sauce and toss gently to combine.

Divide the gnocchi and sauce among plates and add the Brussel sprouts and bacon. I served fresh baked focaccia bread with this, and it made for a lovely pairing.

Bon Appetit!

Half Baked Harvest Every Day: Recipes for Balanced, Flexible, Feel Good Meals

By: Tieghan Gerard

ISBN 978-0-593-23255-2