crispy gnocchi with summer squash & garlic confit
because snack-dinner can be fancy, too
My favorite way to cook is low and slow—one of many reasons I fell for handmade pasta—and although what usually comes to mind is a winter ragù, it can be applied to summer food, too. “Confit” is one of those culinary buzzwords that took over the internet a couple of years ago, but it’s a technique I’ve long turned to because it’s one of those miracle preparations that’s low-effort and high-reward. And although we’re all looking for ways to avoid our stoves, confit calls for so little heat that you’ll hardly even know it’s there. Plus, once it’s made, it’s a treasure trove of flavor and texture already at your fingertips, something sort of fancy that’ll make any summer snack-dinner extra special.
Let’s start with what confit actually is. The word (pronounced “con-fee,” by the way) comes from the French “to preserve,” and so, at its core, confit is just another way to preserve food—any food, not just the most famous examples like duck legs and garlic—in this case by slowly cooking it in liquid. Specifically, a liquid that does not allow for bacterial growth: For savory purposes, this is usually pure fat; for sweet purposes, it’s a highly concentrated sugar syrup. Like most preservation techniques, confit was born out of necessity, before modern refrigeration, and in centuries past, confit’ed foods were first cured in salt to make them even more averse to spoilage. After the food is fully cooked, it’s securely packed into containers and resubmerged in its cooking liquid, cutting it off from oxygen and potential contamination—no refrigeration required.*
It’s easy to wonder about the difference between the confit process and deep frying, since both techniques cook food by submerging it in fat. The difference is in the temperature: While deep frying requires high heat for quick, golden, and crispy results, confit relies on a much lower temperature over a longer period of time to create food that melts in your mouth. Aside from duck and other poultry, meats that benefit from this technique are those with plenty of connective tissue that best tenderizes over time (pork belly is a common candidate). Often, confit’ed meats are quickly cooked over high heat (seared, deep fried) before serving so the interior is luscious and tender while the exterior is brown and crisp—the best of both worlds. Fish, particularly lean ones like cod and tuna, also take well to confit, with a shorter cook time—just like vegetables, which become luxuriously soft, to the point of being spreadable. I should note that, as with deep frying, confit’ed foods are not inherently greasy: The vast majority of the fat stays on the outside, it’s merely a tool for preservation and temperature regulation.
Okay, back to the recipe at hand. For today’s confit, I opted for peak-season zucchini and summer squash, though cherry tomatoes would, of course, also work exceptionally well here. I paired it with gnocchi, quickly seared for a bit of crunch that contrasts nicely with the tenderness of the vegetables. And since we’re all here because we love pasta and aren’t afraid to make our own, I went all-in and made ricotta gnocchi from scratch—a process that’s actually one of the quickest and easiest among all fresh pastas (and a fun way to pass the time while the confit cooks!). You can, of course, reach for your favorite store-bought gnocchi instead, or even make your own potato gnocchi if you want to outdo us all. To make this even more snacky, I threw in a ball of burrata, which is totally optional but becomes a lovely, creamy cocoon of freshness against the richness of the rest. And as a final touch, I dusted the plate with some citrusy, herbaceous, and very-optional fennel pollen because I had some on hand and anything it touches turns to gold.
As with many of my recipes, particularly those for hot weather, think of this as a guidebook rather than an instruction manual—switch up the vegetables, herbs, and seasonings with whatever you like. And remember that although summer food is often made to be easy, it can be fancy, too!
*When done properly; always refrigerate any confit to be on the safe side.
Crispy Gnocchi with Summer Squash & Garlic Confit
Serves 2 to 4