Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

Add-ons to Martha Stewart's Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

This is just about word-for-word what I do for this recipe as well. Some tips: do not overcook the gnocchi; otherwise it will taste like mashed potatoes. I use Trader Joes fresh gnocchi (in the pasta aisle) mostly because I can't find frozen and fresh is so much faster.

I do not like grape tomatoes as much as I like cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are more tender and mix better in this dish. To add a bit more flavor and a thicker sauce, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste after the vegetables are sauted. You don't particularly add a lot more calories with paste but you double the flavor. But watch out for tomato paste with added salt; you may not need to season your vegetables if your paste has salt already.

Tomato paste is one of those staple items that are terrible to store. I use one inch cube sized ice cube trays to store and freeze leftover tomato paste after I've opened the can. Some groceries will sell a tube of paste for easier storage, but you normally pay more for that luxury. The ice cube trays give me the amount that I need (about one tbsp) and an easy way to store leftovers. I have been floored by how many times I use tomato paste now that I know it is readily available.

This is one of those times I will highly recommend fresh basil over dried. Fresh herbs are hard to come by unless you have your own garden (which you should!). I am perfectly okay with substituting dried for fresh, but this is not one of those occasions. Fresh basil adds depth and texture to this dish that cannot be substituted. Julienne cut the basil: layer several leaves of basil and roll into a cigarette-style tube. Thinly slice basil to get lovely ribbons. If you have one, use a plastic knife to avoid browning the basil leaves.

Another healthy tip is to top your dishes. Stirring two tablespoons of parm is hardly going to add taste to your dish, but if you dress your meal with a garnish of parm you get more taste without adding too much cheese. I did include the butter in this meal, but I used Brummel and Brown, which is a yogurt-based butter with fewer calories and no hydrogenated oil.

Another "no substitute" rule for this meal is fresh lemon juice. I used the bottled kind for years, but fresh lemon juice is so much better, especially for summertime dishes that emphasize light and citrus flavors. One reason I was skeptical about buying fresh lemons is lack of use. I would use one tablespoon from half a lemon and throw out the rest. BUT lemons are a fantastic cleaning agent. I use lemons to clean my counter tops and cutting boards instead of cleaning agents; it keeps your food cleaner. Lemons clean and make the kitchen smell so clean. I buy them in bags now.