Watching the Food Network is a form of torture sometimes. Watching while hungry makes me jealous of all those well stocked kitchen and all those delicious dishes. I have learned never to watch it before a time when I can’t eat, such I have to go to class and can’t eat for several hours. Otherwise, I spend the class daydreaming of Ina’s tarts and Rachel Ray’s voice saying EVOO.
That aside, I love the Food Network. Watching it exposes me to types of food I have never heard of before. Gnocchi was something foreign to me, and after hearing about it in a few recipes, I decided I had to know what this potato like pasta tasted like. I considered making it from scratch myself, but I didn’t have the time to make something so time intensive when I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Plus our World Market was selling them for extremely low prices- so why not try it.
So I had my gnocchi from the store, and I immediately began searching for the perfect first recipe to try it out on. I came across this recipe from Giada and was hooked. Cinnamon sugar on pasta? Was it dessert, was it dinner? I don’t know, but I love anything sweet. I especially love cinnamon, sugar, and butter together. I loved the sauce, and I love the texture of the gnocchi! Soft, tender, and light. It was a nice change from normal pasta. Definitely going to have again (and soon since I still have leftovers).
And since this was like eating dessert for dinner, I ate it with some broccoli. That counts, right?
CINNAMON BUTTER GNOCCHI
Slightly Adapted from Giada’s Everyday Italian
INGREDIENTS
2 cups uncooked gnocchi
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi for 2-3 minutes or until they float. Drain and set aside.
In a small skillet, melt butter. Let cook for 5-10 minutes until butter turns a light tan color. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Add gnocchi and cook until warmed through.
Serves 4 as a side.