Ophelia wrote:

>
> D has requested gnocchi. I always put a cheese sauce on, does anyone
> do anything different?
>
> Also, do you serve them with anything else as well as the sauce?

Oh I hope you don't hate on me! I'll be off the main beaten path for
this one. Don calls them little pillows of heaven.

Here's one of many that I think suit the less spicy type of eating 'DH'
and you seem to like.

Cook the amount of Gnocci that you plan to serve. 1/2c each is fairly
common. Set to side so stays warm.

Melt 1 stick of real butter gently, do not allow to brown. Stir in 1ts
(to 2ts) corn starch (if unavailable, can use sifted flour) and stir
slowly until it thickens just a little. Add 3-5 green onion bottoms
(skipping stalks more than 4 inches above the bulb and reserving those
for something else). Mince very finely 2-3 garlic cloves. Add 1/8ts
white pepper (white mostly for looks, can use black ok). Add 8oz pack
of defrosted imitation crab/lobster meat trying to keep it as much
together in larger pieces. At this stage, if you want more 'gravy' add
1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream and be very gentle with stirring so as to not
break up the meat too much as it comes to heat. Serve over gnocchi.

This isnt a thick sauce recipe nor is it intended to be.

Alternative, in same water you heated the Gnocchi, add 3lb mussels
(shell on) then remove (discard any that didnt open). Add to sauce
above at the end step drizzling the sauce among the inner mussel meats
and gnocchi. This one isnt as pretty with frozen mussel meats but
works just fine.

For garnish with either, red bell peppers in strips work well (can be
cooked in sauce or left crunchy, both work).