Tag: gnocchi

A solid – but not too solid – dish

I’m a fond of Trader Joe’s frozen gnocchi dishes and this Cacio e Pepe Gnocchi is no exception. The gnocchi were large, pillowy but with some weight in them – they really just that the perfect density. They come in a mild creamy cheesy sauce that is brightened by what you would swear is freshly ground pepper. If you like the flavor of black pepper, you’ll enjoy these.

The package should serve two if you add a salad. I cooked them according to instructions in the microwave, and that worked very well. It sells for $3.50

A family favorite for twenty years

Update 9/24. The last batch of these gnocchi we bought – and it was several packages – was a failure. The gnocchi themselves were dense and crumbly. It felt as if they had used too much flour, or perhaps changed the quality of the ingredients. I hope it was just a bad batch, as they are close to inedible in the present iteration. I’ll probably wait a while before buying more, to make sure I don’t get more from the same batch.

Trader Giotto’s Gnocchi alla Sorrentina has been a favorite in my family for almost twenty years. My mother introduced me to these gnocchi when my oldest daughter was a toddler, and we have all enjoyed them over the years. We don’t go to Trader Joe’s frequently (parking is a pain), but when we do, we bring back many bags of this gnocchi.

The gnocchi are made in Italy and come in packages of plain gnocchi and pats of frozen sauce and cheese. When these melt, on the stove or in the microwave, they cover the gnocchi with the sauce.

They’re really as good as home made. Indeed I was surprised, when I finally made the home made version, how similar it was to the packaged ones. At $3 per package, they are probably just as cheap as making them yourself.

The gnocchi can be dense if you cook them uncovered in the microwave, so cover them or heat them on the stove. The sauce has a bright, tomato flavoring and just enough cheese – I actually wonder if less than in the past. It’s just good.