20 Minute Pan Fried Gnocchi

Pan fried gnocchi tossed in butter and parmesan and topped with chopped parsley.

5 from 2 votes

20 Minute Pan Fried Gnocchi

This super simple 20 minute Pan Fried Gnocchi recipe is a perfect dinner side or dinner in itself! No boiling necessary, fry up the gnocchi until crisp and golden and toss in a garlic, lemon herb butter for an amazing dish everyone will love!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

1 lb gnocchi shelf stable package
5-6 T butter separated
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cracked pepper
¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ c parmesan more for serving
chopped parsley for serving, optional

Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a 10 inch pan or skillet. Add the minced garlic and allow to heat for about 1 minute to lightly brown, stirring constantly.
Add the uncooked gnocchi and allow to fry for about 12-15 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. If the gnocchi starts to burn, lower the heat slightly. You can fry your gnocchi longer if you prefer it more brown and crispy.
When the gnocchi is golden and crisp on all sides and browned to your taste, turn the heat to low and add in the remaining butter, seasoning and lemon zest. Toss to coat the gnocchi and melt the butter.
When the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan. Allow to cool for several minutes and then serve with freshly chopped parsley and extra parmesan, if desired.

Notes

There is no need to boil the gnocchi before pan frying it. You can skip the boiling when frying your gnocchi. However, if you prefer your gnocchi a touch softer, you could boil it first and then pan fry them for about 3-5 minutes instead of the full time to brown.
If making this as a full meal, this will serve 2-3. The recipe states 4 servings, but this is for side dish recommendation. It will likely only serve 2 or 3 if planning to make as a main dish.
Keep the heat at medium for best results. Low and slow is ideal so that you don't burn the gnocchi while allowing it to get that nice golden color.
Use a 10 inch pan to ensure the gnocchi can spread out in one even layer. Make sure you have a pan that allows all of the gnocchi to cook at the same time. Otherwise, it will not evenly cook

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