Pan-Toasted Chickpea Gnocchi with Beans and Greens
This was one of those recipes that sounded way better than its early results. But the ever-so-patient Cooking Light Test Kitchen team trudged along with me through myriad failures and half-baked ideas, believing that, conceptually, this could be good. So there we were, in Birmingham, Alabama. And on the shelf, in the land of biscuits, was a bag of self-rising flour. Eureka! We discovered that it's possible to use protein-rich chickpea flour in gnocchi and still get a light, fluffy result. High five. This is one balanced, nutritious, and delicious meal.
How to Make It
Remove the gnocchi from the refrigerator. Uncover.
Warm a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
TOAST THE GNOCCHI
Add the butter to the pan, swirl, melt, and bring to the foaming point.
Add the gnocchi, and saut for about 5 minutes, turning periodically, until evenly toasted.
Transfer the gnocchi to an oven-safe plate while you cook the escarole. Hold them in a warm place, preferably in a warm oven.
MAKE THE GREENS AND BEANS "SAUCE"
Raise the heat in the pan to medium-high and add the olive oil.
Add the green beans to the pan. Stir to deglaze the browned bits left behind by the gnocchi. Cook 2 minutes. The beans will retain a bit of a crunch.
Add the chickpeas, the kidney beans, the tomatoes, the garlic, and the escarole, and stir until the beans are heated through and the escarole has wilted, about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the bean and endive mixture with lemon juice and salt.
Serve on a platter, with the greens and beans on the base and the gnocchi on top, with a sprinkling of Romano cheese.
Cooking Light Mad Delicious
