Remember that gorgeous dark green purée from the last post? Of course you do—it has haunted your dreams since you laid eyes on it. Today you get to see what I did with it (most of it, anyway, since obviously I was contractually obligated to spread some on bread).
Because of their tenderness when steamed, lamb’s quarters are ideal for coloring and flavoring gnocchi. They cook and eat a lot like nettles, another wild favorite whose season is already over (if you haven’t tried them, this method works perfectly for gnettle gnocchi too). And since they cook down dramatically, the small amount you’re using to turn the gnocchi green works out to a decent quantity of leaves in their raw form. That means nutrients, making this a pretty fabulous one-pot meal.
Gnocchi are straightforward to make, provided you follow a few simple guidelines. And you can make a lot in a short time, making them ideal for freezing in quantity for near-instant weeknight deployment. This is a dish that will absolutely step up and nourish your whole family in five minutes flat if you have some frozen and ready.
You will thank yourself for making these and freezing some and saving you from another gross takeout meal. A huge part of cooking and eating well daily is front-loading the labor when you have time so you have healthy and delicious options when you don’t have time. It’s kind of the ballgame. Also, making these is fun, and a great way to involve kids or friends in your meal prep.
Above all, these make for fantastic eating: plump, toothsome, and deeply satisfying. If you have access to new potatoes, which are just coming in around here, food doesn’t get any more seasonal. And while you can sauce them with everything from bolognese to Alfredo sauce, a pat of butter and some good pecorino is all you really need—after you’ve learned the Rules of Gnocchi: