Pan-fried gnocchi with cabbage, fennel, walnuts and balsamic vinegar is a quick and simple dinner that is both delicious and hearty.
This quick and simple 20-minute dish makes the most of autumnal ingredients and some store cupboard favourites.
Pan-Fried Gnocchi
Potato gnocchi really are great at changing up preconceptions of fast mid-week meals.
They can do full-on comfort food like my cheese-laden Gnocchi alla Sorrentina recipe, sausage gnocchi, gnocchi with tomato sauce or balsamic mushroom gnocchi bake.
But they are also great for using up vegetables and making a quick and light meal.
That is where this gnocchi recipe lives; it uses up some leftover cabbage leaves and mixes them with store-cupboard herbs and a few walnuts.
In many ways, this recipe is a partner recipe to my savoy cabbage pasta recipe.
You could even use gnocchi in place of noodles in my lazanki recipe!
It is wonderfully quick, weighing in at a shade over 10-12 minutes, and it is packed full of great autumnal flavours.
Walnuts are a wonderful, earthy addition alongside the bright, verdant sweetheart/hispi cabbage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use homemade gnocchi?
Yes, of course. You can use both homamade potato gnocchi or you could use the much simpler to make ricotta cheese gnocchi.
What is the best store-bought gnocchi to use?
I personally am not fond of the "shelf-stable" gnocchi that you buy in vacuum-packed "bricks" in the supermarket. I would usually buy them from the refrigerated aisle.
Can I use other types of cabbage?
Yes, this works with both white savoy cabbage and white cabbage really well.
If you have leftover cabbage, how about making up a batch of my cabbage and white bean soup?
Can I use other types of nuts?
Yes, I have substituted walnuts with pecans and hazelnuts, and both work really well.
Can I use oil instead of butter?
You can, but you do get a very different flavour. I would use a light olive oil or even a mix of olive oil and groundnut oil.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, so long as you replace the Parmesan cheese with a vegetarian alternative, you are good to go! True "PDO" Parmesan cheese is made with animal rennet, but there are many alternatives out there!
Serving Suggestions
More often than not, this cabbage gnocchi dish forms a quick one-bowl dinner for me.
Although I will often serve it with a little garlic bread, because, well, it's garlic bread and any excuse is a good one.
But it also works really well as a side dish, too!
It is superb with pork; it would work wonderfully with my pork chops with pear, and if you substitute the balsamic vinegar with cider vinegar, the sauce works really well as well.
It is also fantastic with my bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. Sticking with the bacon theme, it is also wonderful with my bacon wrapped cod.
Equipment Used
I only name-check specific equipment brands if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan with a lid.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Vegetable peeler (to create Parmesan shavings)
Cabbage and Walnut Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Sweetheart (Hispi) Cabbage 300g or 11oz (prepared weight)
- 6 Large Sage Leaves
- 500 g Packet of Gnocchi 18oz
- 50 g Butter 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 50 g Walnut Halves ⅓ Cup
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
- 75 ml Dry Vermouth ⅓ Cup
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 10 g Parmesan Shavings 2 tablespoon
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove and discard the tough central "stalk", and finely shred the cabbage leaves.
- Finely shred the sage leaves.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a high heat, and when it is hot, pour in the Vermouth, then add the cabbage, sage, half of the salt and all of the black pepper, toss to combine and add a lid.Reduce the temperature to low and cook whilst you work in the second pan.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the butter.When the butter has melted and begins to foam, add the gnocchi, walnut halves, fennel seeds and remaining salt, then fry until lightly golden; this should take 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook for 60 seconds, stirring and tossing constantly.
- Transfer the cabbage, sage and Vermouth mixture to the gnocchi and toss to combine for 30-60 seconds.
- Serve with the Parmesan shavings.
