Saturday (!) Night Dinner: Gnocchi Edition

As I mentioned yesterday, I am leaving today for the final trip of the work travel madness that began back in March (I am hopefully winging my way to the Midwest even as we speak). Since I was only going to be having half a weekend at home (on the heels of being gone the previous work week), Jason and I instituted a “no outside plans” policy yesterday so that we could spend some quality time with each other. Of course, life being life, we were inundated with social invitations from various friends and family members. But we stuck to our guns and had a pretty relaxing day just the two of us (with a few work obligations thrown in for good measure).

Sunday travel = no Sunday dinner, so I decided to make it Saturday Night Dinner. It was a good idea in theory but, for some reason, I had a really hard time coming up with anything I wanted to make.  I think all the travel and eating out has thrown me off my game. Usually I enjoy meal planning but it felt like such a chore yesterday trying to come up with something that I wanted to cook and that would provide some leftovers for Jason to eat tonight or tomorrow while I am gone. I ended up handing the recipe binder over to Jason and letting him decide. His pick? Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables from one of last year’s Everyday Food issues. I had not made this before but had saved it thinking it might make a quick and healthy meal sometime in the future. I am not sure what about it caught Jason’s eye but we decided to give it a shot.

It was definitely easy---sautéed squash, zucchini, and grape tomatoes combined with basil, parmesan cheese, and some lemon juice serve as a light sauce for frozen gnocchi.  While it didn’t blow me away, I’d probably make it again. Next time I’d add some red pepper flake to give it a little kick as it seemed to need a little something something—a comment complaint I've had with many of Everyday Food’s recipes (sorry Martha!). I might also try to find fresh gnocchi next time—the consistency of the frozen variety left a little something to be desired. Despite these small flaws, I’d say this dish is definitely a contender for a future weeknight meal and worth a try if you want something quick and easy.

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables
Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
1 package frozen gnocchi (mine was 16 ounces)
1 TBL olive oil
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 yellow squash, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 TBL grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions.
2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash, zucchini, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to get tender (about 4-5 minutes).
3.Add tomatoes and cook until juices are released, about 3-4 minutes.
4.Reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid and drain gnocchi. Add gnocchi to the skillet and add enough of the cooking liquid to create a sauce (I added almost all of the ½ cup). Toss and let cook for about 30 seconds.
5.Remove from heat and stir in basic, cheese and lemon juice. Check for seasoning.