Spicy Southwest Sheet Pan Gnocchi // S1E9 Space
“Do you know a good place to eat in Albuquerque?”
Kayla thought we should make a face cake in honor of the face on Mars, but we settled on a vegetarian Spicy Southwest Sheet Pan Gnocchi instead. Like the episode Space itself, we were aiming for a budget entry. Production costs for Season 1 of the X-Files were high, and this episode was initially an attempt by the Fox Broadcasting Company to save money.
With a dish that comes in at under $12 dollars, we achieved our money saving goal better than The X-Files did with the episode Space, which notoriously clocked in as one of the most expensive episodes in the first season. Unfortunately, the extravagance of the production in no way comes across the screen, and we both agree that this is one of the rougher Season 1 entries. However, our low-cost, low-effort addition to this blog exceeds expectations on all counts and has quickly become one of our go-to meals, unlike this episode, which we tend to skip.
The episode’s plot, based around a haunting (possession?) by some sort of space ghost and sabotage offers little in the way of food inspiration. Even the setting, which manages to make NASA look boring and bureaucratic offers little to draw on. So we focused on the astronauts safely landing in Albuquerque, NM, asking for a good place to eat, and decided to come up with a quick, inexpensive meal with a southwestern vibe.
The Recipe File|
To make this meal, dice the peppers, tomatillos and onions. Put the veggies and gnocchi on a baking sheet, toss them with a little olive oil and salt, and roast on a sheet pan at 425°F for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Note: you want your veggies to be pretty spread out when they’re roasting, so you might need to use 2 sheet pans.
While the veggies and gnocchi cook, whip up the garlicy lime and cilantro dressing. Zest and juice the lime, and combine with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add chopped cilantro, garlic, agave (or honey) and stir to combine. Add salt to taste.
Once the gnocchi and veggies are satisfactorily crispy, toss them in the dressing and then throw on some cheese. Dinner is ready in less time than it takes to be possessed by a Martian ghost.
You can easily modify the spicy southwest sheet pan gnocchi to make it vegan. Be sure to use a vegan gnocchi, and instead of the queso fresco top with roasted pepitas or a vegan cheese.
Spicy Southwest Sheet Pan Gnocchi Recipe
Spicy Southwest Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Equipment
- lemon zester or microplane
Ingredients
- 4 large chile peppers we used Poblano, but other varieties would work
- 1 yellow onion
- 6 – 8 tomatillos
- 8 oz gnocchi
- 3 tbsp olive oil separated
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 lime
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped dried will also work, just use less
- 1/2 tbsp agave
- 8 oz queso fresco
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Dice the peppers and tomatillos and slice the onions into large wedges.
- Toss the peppers, tomatillos, onions and gnocchi on the sheet pan with about 1 tbsp olive oil. Note: you can spread the veggies and gnocchi out on 2 sheet pans for crispier veggies.
- Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes.
- Stir and then roast for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until the gnocchi is browned and the veggies look crispy.
- While the vegetables and gnocchi roast, zest and juice the lime. Chop the cilantro and finely mince the garlic.
- Stir together the lime zest and juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, chopped cilantro, agave and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the vegetables and gnocchi are toasted, remove from oven. Pour on the cilantro dressing and toss to combine.
- Divide sheet pan gnocchi among dishes. Top with crumbled queso fresco.
