Skillet Gnocchi Alla Vodka
Published Jan. 23, 2025
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2(16- to 18-ounce) packages shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
- ½medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1(6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- ½teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt
- ½cup vodka
- ½cup heavy cream
- 1ounce Parmesan, finely grated (½ packed cup), plus more for serving
- Torn fresh basil leaves, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
758 calories; 31 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 85 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 1030 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add 1 package of gnocchi to the skillet in a single layer, breaking up any gnocchi that might be stuck together. Cover (use the lid of a Dutch oven or a sheet pan if your skillet doesn’t have a lid) and cook the gnocchi undisturbed until the bottoms are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining package of gnocchi and transfer to the bowl.
- Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the tomato paste (reserve the now-empty can), garlic, crushed red pepper and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste has darkened significantly and starts to caramelize in a few spots and stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fill the empty tomato paste can three-quarters of the way with water and set aside.
- Step 4
Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the vodka and simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the vodka has reduced by about half, about 20 seconds.
- Step 5
Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan and half of the water from the can until combined. Return the gnocchi to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce, adding more water a splash at a time as needed, until the sauce is smooth and creamy and the gnocchi is rewarmed, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve garnished with torn basil and more Parmesan.
Private Notes
Comments
I give terrific credit to whoever thot of this method..like wow! Congrats! It's got to do with that golden brown edge on the gnocchi which imparts that umami feel...also cooking the paste until darker..brilliant! 10 points!!
It’s rare that I try a NYT recipe without notes. This was a big hit! Be sure to crisp the gnocchi- it took mine longer than 5 min. Only change I made was to add spinach. 10/10!! Can also add more crushed red pepper but it was really great as written.
Hi Anna, Yes, it's won't be true vodka sauce, of course, but if you need to, you can swap the vodka for chicken broth. Or even better, use a combination of broth and a splash of vinegar like white wine or red wine vinegar or even a squeeze of lemon juice to lend a little sharpness to the sauce that balances the rich cream and sweet tomatoes, which is partially what the vodka in the recipe helps with.
Two small suggestions. First, put the garlic in once the onions are done but before the paste. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, then the paste. Second, Kenji did some alla vodka sauce testing and concluded 1/4 cup usually works best. I agree for this recipe.
Echoing what others mentioned it's very strong on vodka, but for me it worked! Definitely let it cook off longer than 20s. I subbed half the gnocchi for a couple chicken breasts to get some protein. I first browned the chicken in the pan then finished in the oven. If you do that be careful browning the gnocchi after to prevent the fond from burning. Also added some halved cherry tomatoes.
Not sure what I did wrong here, but we all found it really bitter. I added more cream and water but it still had a bitter little kick. Not sure if this was due to the Vodka not burning off enough or the tomato paste. I'm in Australia and used a tomato paste which is quite concentrated. Maybe I should have used a passata-type paste instead? Will try this next time, as I imagine it would be really good with a less intense bite to it.
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