Green Bean Gnocchi

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An awesome childhood friend of my husband gave me a bag of her fresh home grown organic green beans today. Just look at how gorgeous they are!



They were so fresh and special, I just had to share them with the rest of the family coming over tonight for dinner.

Since I was already making chicken enchiladas and a Southwestern chopped salad for dinner, I wanted to come up with a recipe that let the green beans shine, but still went along with the Mexican theme. This green bean gnocchi recipe does just that-- flavored with just a bit of garlic and cilantro, the natural sweetness and flavor of the green beans are maintained, while the gnocchi provides a contrast of textures that accentuates the crispness of the fresh green beans.




Yields 6 side dish servings, 4 if used as a main dish

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces
  • 1 package gnocchi (17.5 oz)
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 T butter
  • 2 T olive oil
  • ½ t salt
  • ¼ c cilantro, chopped

Procedures:

  1. Trim and cut green beans and set aside.
  2. Chop garlic and set aside.
  3. Chop cilantro and set aside.
  4. To a pot of boiling water, blanch the green beans for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the green beans, straining out the water, and place green beans into a pan containing chopped garlic, olive oil, and butter. (see photo)
  5. Boil the gnocchi according to package directions using the existing pot of boiling water that held the green beans. (The package of gnocchi that I got from Trader Joe’s cooks in 3 min, and the gnocchi will float to the top when cooked. Do NOT over boil.)
  6. Scoop out the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, straining out the water, and add gnocchi to the pan with the green beans. (See photo)
  7. Sprinkle some salt over the green bean gnocchi. Turn the heat on the pan to high and gently stir the gnocchi and green beans until the garlic is fragrant and some of the gnocchi is a bit browned. (About 5 min)
  8. Turn off the heat. Add the cilantro. Stir gently to mix. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.