This recipe was part of the Food Fight: Desperation Dinner Challenge which ended Mar 31, 2008 05:00 PM. See winners »

• 1 package gnocchi - can also use penne if desperate.
• About 1/2 cup of olive oil, more or less depending on how you like it.
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• A good handful of nuts - pine nuts or roughly chopped walnuts are best
• A few cups of greens - a bitter green like chard is great, but frozen leaf spinach is good in a pinch. Just defrost it and drain first
• Salt and fresh pepper, plus crushed red pepper if you'd like
• Parmesan or Romano cheese, whatever's on hand
• If you want to be REALLY fancy, a bit of truffle oil

1. Heat olive oil in a big, deep pan. When it’s nice and hot, add garlic and nuts. Cook until the nuts are toasty and the garlic is starting to color a bit.
2. In the meantime, cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. The should only take about 2 minutes to cook so WATCH THEM.
3. When garlic and nuts are toasty and delicious, knock the heat down to way, way low and toss in the greens. Let them wilt for a minute or two.
4. The gnocchi should be done by now. Drain them, saving about 1/2 cup of water. Add the gnocchi to the pan, along with the cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Let it all get all juicy and delicious for a minute, and remove from heat.
5. Serve topped with cheese and if you’re feeling daring, a splash of olive oil; if you are hoping to get some booty from your dinner date, sub truffle oil.