Ali Slagle – Serves 6 to 8

The first time I ate gnocchi in a white sage cream sauce was on the Big Island at an upscale Italian restaurant located in the Waikoloa Hyatt. The hotel was the Disneyland of resorts, and during our annual vacations to visit Grammie Lambie, we would treat ourselves to a weekend getaway to lounge by the pool, ride the tram, play in the lagoon, and dine at the many restaurants. For years, I dreamed of the pillowy soft dumplings that I had discovered on Donnatella’s menu. I ordered them whenever I saw them on menus at other restaurants and tried my hand at making potato-flour pasta from scratch.  Which isn’t as easy. The baked potatoes are hot, hot, hot. Getting a light, airy pasta escaped using a fork to make ridges escaped my ability.

I recently stumbled across this recipe in the New York Times Food Section and was on it like a duck on a June bug. What caught my eye was the use of packaged gnocchi. Being a foodie snob, packaged gnocchi isn’t something I’d normally consider. But, the memory of burnt finger tips from hot potatoes had me heading out to Trader Joe’s and reaching for the handy dandy packages. The best part. It is soooo easy to make. This dish sends a clear message. “Calories be damned, pass the dish, I think I’ll have another spoonful.”

Ingredients

• 2 C       Heavy cream (I mentioned that there was a lot of calories, right?)
• 2          Garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 T       Finely chopped sage leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• ¼ t       Finely grated nutmeg (optional)
• Salt and black pepper
• 2          Packages potato gnocchi (16- to 18-ounce)
• ½ C      Coarsely grated Gruyere
• ½ C      Finely grated Parmesan

Directions

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the cream, garlic, sage and nutmeg (if using) and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the gnocchi and spread into an even layer (it’s OK if the gnocchi aren’t completely covered in cream).
• Sprinkle with the Gruyere and Parmesan.
• Bake until the top is browned and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Serve immediately for a loose creamy texture.

Tip – With a whopping 450 calories (based on 8 servings) I suggest cutting this recipe in half to encourage portion control. Another option might be to sub in whole milk. But I haven’t attempted that trick.