Easy Dinner Idea: Balsamic Gnocchi.
It may sound odd, but keep reading. I promise it gets better.
Look… I too, was skeptical at first. I have no Italian blood in me and don’t know the first thing about Italian cooking, but for the majority of my life I’ve eaten gnocchi with tomato sauce or some sort of béchamel sauce. Clearly, vinegar is not on that list.
This recipe comes from my friend Barb, whose husband was a world-renowned chef. I’ve shared many of their recipes before (ice cream crepes, provolone stuffed fried zucchini), but I have to admit that this is my favorite. Perhaps because it was so unexpected? One evening during early December, Barb told me that I just had to make this gnocchi dish with a balsamic reduction. I actually put it off for a few weeks because I… just wasn’t sure.
Then one day last week mid-recipe development, my mind went blank. I took one for the team and chopped some vegetables.
But before we go any further, let me tell you something. I cheated.
I grabbed a box of whole wheat sweet potato gnocchi at the grocery store and this is what I used. It’s delicious. It’s easy. It’s foolproof. It leaves more time for you to make dessert. Do it.
Back to the dish.
I reduced the vinegar and let it cool. It got syrupy.
I literally burnt every single taste bud off my tongue when I attempted to lick the spoon.
Also, a word to the wise: don’t stick your face right over top of a reducing pot of vinegar. Or wine. Or when you are sauteing jalepenos. Why must I learn the hard way?
It’s the inner child in me. It’s why I always have to open the oven door mid-bake and why I always want to push the button that says “don’t push” in screaming red bubble letters.
I just love balsamic vinegar, so my anticipation for this dish was eating me alive. But I thought one thing would make it better.
Garlic basil butter.
I mixed some softened butter with fresh basil and minced garlic, and used it to saute the veggies and stir in at the end to finish the balsamic sauce. There really are no words.
I enjoy many of the savory dishes that I make, but I must admit – so many of them are developed because I’m trying to feed Mr. How Sweet a meal that won’t make him cry. It was refreshing to try a dish that scared me and was so out of my flavor comfort zone.
And it is now my favorite savory dish to date. Absolutely mouth watering. Layered with flavor. Mind blowing. And I can’t forget to mention the short ingredient list and ease.
Even Mr. How Sweet ended up eating this without any meat – that’s how fabulous it is. And you know it has to be delicious if he’s willing to forego his beloved chicken.
But it would be a lie of omission if I failed to mention on Tuesday he combined these leftovers with the grilled tomato basil chicken leftovers. That was pretty divine too.
Gnocchi with Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 pound gnocchi, fresh or packaged
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 pepper, chopped (any color will do – I used red)
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons garlic basil butter
Garlic Basil Butter
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, or however much you want
Instructions
- Heat a small saucepan over high heat and add balsamic vinegar. Allow vinegar to come to a boil them immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer until vinegar reduces by half of the amount – about 8-10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
- Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon garlic butter. Add chopped peppers, onions and mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, boil water for gnocchi and cook according to directions – they only take a few minutes, so make sure the veggies are almost finished cooking.
- Drain gnocchi and add to veggies in skillet. Add vinegar reduction and garlic butter and stir to combine. Top with parmesan if desired. Serve and devour!
Garlic Basil Butter
- Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I will pay you to go make this dish.
In cookies. I’ll pay you in cookies. I just need someone else to relish in it’s delightfulness.
138 Comments on “Easy Dinner Idea: Balsamic Gnocchi.”
I ADORE gnocchi dishes. Love this variety!
Pay me in more gnocchi? ;)
Done!
Oh. My. Gosh. – seriously, this is my dream dish.
I am horrible and cooking gnocchi-I can never get the timing right:( By dad would LOVE this recipe-I may give it another whirl and try it out!
I think you should. :)
I love balsamic too! I’ve that’s not gI NEED to try, then I dont know what it is. Thanks! oh, do you think this works with another kind of pasta too?
Thanks again!
-Amalia http://buttersweetmelody.wordpress.com
I think it would, but I haven’t tried it myself.
What a gorgeous looking meal!
I always cheat and buy pre-made gnocchi too :)
It looks gorgeous! I can just imagine how that syrupy balsamic made for a wonderful sauce. I too would have burnt my tastebuds trying to lick the spoon!
This looks sooo good! I love balsamic reductions. Mmmm.
I’m pro boxed gnocchi…I bought a gnocchi paddle a while back, but I’ve never used it. Like you say, more time for dessert! ;)
you definitely don’t have to pay me…i’m making it next week anyway!
This looks freaking fantastic! I want this for breakfast!
You had me at garlic basil butter.
It is not a cheat to buy them. That is why they are there! This looks beautiful!
I was already into the balsamic reduction and then came the basil garlic butter…omg! This is without a doubt on the menu for next week…if I can wait that long!
Hope you love it!
My boyfriend loves gnocchi, and he’s never even had the homemade kind! He coerced me into buying him more at the grocery the other day so I’ll have to give this recipe a try! it looks delish=)
Looks great! I think it would be fun to try making homemade gnocchi.
It is fun! I have made whole wheat pumpkin gnocchi and butternut squash gnocchi. It is really delish, you must try it sometime!
I took a gnocchi cooking class….amazing. I love how you can switch up the makeup of the gnocchi itself and the toppings to make SO many dishes. This variety sounds great. <3 balsamic.
I adore balsamic vinegar and put it on practically everything (it’s sort of like how I thought ketchup should go on everything when I was a kid). Sounds lovely! :)
This is an awesome idea. I love balsamic and I love gnocchi, but I’ve never even seen the two be combined. Delicious-looking!
I had never seen or heard of them being combined either. So good!
That looks awesome!
You’ve sold me! I’ve always wanted to try to make a basalmic reduction — here’s my excuse!
Oooh, I LOVE gnocchi. I’ve been meaning to make homemade for a while now– but it’s just SO easy to grab the boxes of them…and I think they taste really good!
Tasting good, aged balsamic vinegar for the first time was a culinary revelation. My brain couldn’t wrap around the fact that this dark liquid could have so many beautiful notes–slightly tangy, slightly molasses. It was unbelievable and so I’m sure this dish has an incredible depth of flavor.
I will just eat a plate of this and hibernate til April, k?
Sounds fair to me.
You could dip a shoe in balsamic reduction and I’d eat it.
I literally burst out laughing when I read this comment. I feel the same! Balsamic vinegar is single-handedly responsible for getting me to eat veggies.
dangit. Every time I read your blog in the morning, I’m automatically hungry again.
This looks SO good.
uh…and I’ve totally almost choked myself putting my head over a pan of reducing balsamic, too.
Oh man, I’m obsessed with balsamic vinegar and gnocchi. I can’t even imagine how good this dish is!
If I’m feeling better, I’m making this tonight. I have potatoes just waiting to be turned into gnocchi!
Imagine butternut squash gnocchi with the cinnamon pear vinegar reduced! Weeeeeeeee!
Ooooooh, yes!
This may be one of the most amazing dishes I’ve seen in my life. Italians know how to make their food
That they do.
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This looks fantastic!! I can’t wait to try it….it’s not something I ever would have thought up on my own – thanks for sharing!!
That looks & sounds so fab. I love balsamic and I love gnocchi. Win-win.
If gnocchi and balsamic vinegar were easy to find in my current part of the world, cooking up this recipe would be done in a heartbeat. This looks ah-maz-ing.
Oh man… I wish you could find them!
I’ve had a similar balsamic sauce on warm bread. To die for!
I love gnocchi! I will have to try this sauce!
That final picture made me drool. What a winning combination!!
This sounds so good!! I’m definitely trying it asap.
This looks awesome.. I’m slightly obsessed with balsamic vinegar. I love it. What a great combination!!
OH.
MY.
Well… you know the rest.
This post made me want to lick my computer screen!! Adding gnocchi to my shopping list… HAVE TO MAKE THIS!!!
I have some gnocchi at home that I’ve been meaning to cook up and this looks out-of-this-world delicious. I know what I’ll be making this weekend!
My husband got gnocchi for Christmas – a great stocking stuffer.
I would never have thought to make a balsamic reduction as a sauce for gnocchi – great idea!
I’d be in heaven in someone got me gnocchi for for Christmas!
Well, there goes the rest of my morning at work. Can’t code invoices today, boss! I’m too busy staring at these gorgeous photos and sighing wistfully.
Must finish washing the dishes in my sink this weekend, so I can get ’em dirty again cooking this.
I wish I liked gnocchi, but I just…don’t :( It sounds awesome, though! LOVE balsamic vinegar!
Mr. How Sweet isn’t a huge fan of it either, but he did love this!
My stretchy pants are already thanking me :)
this sounds like the meal of my dreams. i love balsamic. i love gnocci. but never thought to combine them!
Trust me, I wouldn’t have either!
Wow! That was pretty easy!
Holy crap. That looks delicious! Basil butter?! This will be in my meal plan next week!
This looks and sounds incredible, Jessica! Confession time…I have never had gnocchi! I’m going to have to look for some pre-made, because this looks like a must try recipe! Thanks for giving me the inspiration to try something new! :-)
Never?! I’m about to make this and drive it over to you just because of that!
Store bought gnocchi is usually quite good. TJ’s has a couple options that are amazing!
I’ve never tried any from TJ’s, will have to pick some up next time.
This is a fabulous idea. I think balsamic vinegar is SO underutilized. One of my first jobs was at a gourmet restaurant…and they once did deep fried pierogies…with a balsamic reduction. Um…can you say heaven?
Holy cow. That sounds like the best thing ever.
I could stick my finger under that stream of rich reduction. I’m a lover of balsamic. And I looooove gnocchi.
Girl, this seriously looks fantastic. My husband’s favorite pasta is gnocchi and my favorite thing to cook with is balsamic vinegar! Oh this is a must try for me! Thanks for the recipe!