RECIPE: Gnocchi gets the sheet pan treatment with no pot of water

Put this dish in the category of recipes that shouldn’t work but surprisingly do. Instead of lugging out a pot of water and boiling prepared gnocchi for a couple of minutes before attempting to dry and sear them for a bit of browning, this method scraps boiling all together for a hot oven and a longer cooking time.

Roasted sheet pan gnocchi is a technique that has been floating around the internet for at least five years, but is really starting to take off in popularity. Google the term and you’ll be greeted with countless recipes across blogs and newspaper test kitchens alike. The key is to pair the gnocchi with a vegetable that has a fair amount of moisture in it when raw; as the water evaporates from the vegetables, it’ll provide enough steam to soften the gnocchi without water-logging them, which prevents them from browning easily.

In the recipe below, I’ve paired a package of gnocchi (both shelf-stable and refrigerated gnocchi work well; avoid frozen for this method) with mixed wild mushrooms and scallions, topped with a lemony ricotta mixture after cooking. Both the mushrooms and scallions provide sufficient moisture to soften the gnocchi, and the ricotta forms a tangy, creamy sauce at serving time. A final squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle of thinly sliced scallion greens top it all off.