One bag of Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter and Sage goes into a nonstick pan alongside zucchini, frozen corn, and arugula. The whole skillet comes together in 23 minutes from a cold pan and serves two. Red pepper flakes and Parmesan finish each bowl at the table.
The butter and sage sauce comes sealed inside the bag and becomes the coating for the whole pan as the gnocchi heats. There is no sauce to build from scratch, because the gnocchi carries it already. That is why one bag and a few vegetables produces a bowl that tastes like more.
Arugula goes in after the heat is turned off, not while the pan is still hot. Too much heat wilts it down in under a minute and kills the peppery bite it brings to the bowl. Stirring it in off the heat keeps the texture intact so the bowl has green contrast.
Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
Course: DinnersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
servings5
minutes18
minutes272
kcalTrader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe with zucchini, frozen corn, arugula, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan. One bag, one pan, two servings in 23 minutes
Ingredients
- Skillet
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into thin half moons
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bag Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter and Sage (frozen)
1 cup frozen corn
1½ cups arugula
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- To serve
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Directions
- Add the olive oil to a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini half moons, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft.
- Add the bag of frozen gnocchi and the frozen corn. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Uncover and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste one gnocchi to confirm it is warm all the way through.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes and arugula until just barely wilted.
- Serve immediately with grated Parmesan on top.
FAQs
Can I swap the zucchini for a different vegetable?
Most vegetables with a similar water content and cooking time swap in directly. Broccoli, bell pepper, and asparagus all work well in place of zucchini. Watery vegetables like fresh tomato will release liquid into the pan and thin the sage butter sauce that the bag carries.
Will this work as a sheet pan dinner instead of stovetop?
Sheet pan works but produces a different result: the gnocchi dries out slightly and the sage butter coats less evenly. At 425°F for 20 minutes, the gnocchi gets firmer with more roasted edges. Stovetop is the method for coating every piece in sauce; the oven is the method for crispier texture.
Can I add a protein to make it more filling?
Chicken sausage is the most natural addition, cooked first in the same pan and set aside before the gnocchi goes in. Shrimp works too and only needs 2 to 3 minutes per side, so it can go in right before the gnocchi. Either protein picks up the sage butter from the bag and integrates directly.
What other Trader Joe’s product makes a fast weeknight dinner on a different night?
On nights when a rice base fits better than pasta, a fried rice build from the same store covers a different format. A Trader Joe’s fried rice recipe on this site builds from TJ’s Vegetable Fried Rice with sautéed cabbage, baby corn, and a quick ginger sauce. Both come together in under 25 minutes from the same store run.
What Trader Joe’s dinner works when something oven-baked fits the evening better?
An oven-baked dinner from the same store covers a completely different evening without any stovetop skillet work. A Trader Joe’s enchiladas recipe on this site uses TJ’s enchilada sauce and tortillas for a dish that bakes at 350°F for 25 minutes. Together the two give a weekly rotation one quick stovetop option and one baked one from the same store.
