Baked Gnocchi

10/20/2021

Last month, in a rare moment of bravery, I posed this question to my daughter: "What do you think I should make for dinner this weeK?" 😬 Anyone else fear this question as much as me? 😅 I've learned that while I value their input, I really need to prepare myself for the answers because I just never know what they're going to come up with. One year I told my daughter I would make her whatever her heart desired for her birthday dinner... she requested meatloaf. 😅😅 #meatloafischeaperthanlobster 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why do I put myself through this torture, you ask? Well, when I feel like I'm in a cooking rut - I find that it helps to ask for another opinion. 22 year olds look at meals through an entirely different lens than I do. Her fresh perspective is exactly what I needed to bring some new life to our meals.

In response to my request for dinner ideas - my meat loving daughter came up with two different gnocchi recipes. Baked Gnocchi with Sausage and Gnocchi with Broccoli. Full disclosure: I've never actually made gnocchi. With that being said - it really shouldn't have surprised me when my child informed me that she had never even tasted gnocchi. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was disappointed in myself, both as a parent and as an Italian. 🤣

Even though I can't seem to convince her of this, it was never my intent for the girl who suggested the Baked Gnocchi recipe to make the recipe as well. 😬🤣 I'm not really sure how it happened but needless to say - she did a fantastic job. And I realize that it's long overdue but, now that it's been brought to may attention - I'm attempting to correct the injustice of depriving my family of gnocchi for so long. Davis family - meet baked gnocchi.

Baked Gnocchi
1 lb Italian sausage
2 - 1 lb packages gnocchi
8 oz ricotta
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
25.5 oz jar marinara sauce
8 oz mozzarella, grated
2 Tbsp fresh parsley