Recipe: Gnocchi with Baby Kale and Lemon Cream Sauce

For a long time, I wasn’t a fan of packaged potato gnocchi. They’re pretty much always dense and heavy, and, once boiled, they often break apart into mush unless you’re careful with them.

Still, no matter if you’ve got frozen or vacuum-packed, these little dumplings are so quick to prepare, it would be a shame not to try to use them in a 5:30 Challenge recipe.

After playing with a few packages, I’ve landed on a cream-based sauce to serve them in. Yes, it’s adding richness to an already heavy starch. However, when perked up with lots of lemon juice and black pepper, the sauce actually ends up complementing the gnocchi. And it is December — one of the best times of the year to whip up a creamy, indulgent dinner.

The result could hardly be easier — or quicker. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and simmer the gnocchi gently just until they begin to float. Drain and let them hang out in the sink.

While the water comes to a boil and the gnocchi cook, take this time to cook down a cup of heavy cream. After rapidly simmering for about 5 minutes, the cream should turn into a spoon-coating sauce. Reduce the heat to low and stir in a handful of good grated Parmesan, a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice, and as much black pepper as you can handle. Once these are all in, season with salt to taste — you’ll need less than you think.

Now stir in the drained gnocchi just enough to coat them in the sauce, and then follow with a full 5-ounce package of baby kale. (You could also use spinach or arugula, if you prefer.) This last step is easiest if you add in the greens a large handful at a time; they will wilt down quickly, leaving plenty of space to add more.

Serve the gnocchi with a generous dusting of additional Parmesan, plus even more pepper and lemon juice. It’s good enough to turn a gnocchi agnostic into a believer.