Sesame Chicken and Gnocchi

When Chinese and Italian meet in this delectable and easy dinner dish, you’ve got a real crowd-pleaser! Prep in the morning and pop in the oven to finish cooking once you get home from your Chol Hamoed outing. An all-in-one meal!

SERVES 6–8

• 1¹⁄₂–2 lbs (³⁄₄–1 kg) dark chicken cutlets, cut into bite-sized nuggets
• ¹⁄₂ cup flour
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt
• oil, for searing
• 1 1-lb (450-g) pkg gnocchi (I used Bartenura brand)
• 1¹⁄₂ cups snap peas, rinsed and edges trimmed (optional)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup water
• sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Place chicken, flour, and salt in a large ziplock bag and seal. Shake well until chicken is fully coated. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Pour oil into a large, nonstick frying pan and heat. Put coated chicken nuggets into pan and stir, breaking up pieces with a spoon and turning them over as they cook. Brown chicken until mostly cooked through and remove to a baking pan. Add gnocchi to the baking pan along with the snap peas, if desired.

In a separate bowl, stir together brown sugar, ketchup, and water; pour over chicken and gnocchi. Stir to coat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes. Stir once more before serving.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 712)