Valentine's Dinner: Lobster Gnocchi with Walnut Lemon Brown Butter Sauce.

This isn't an original recipe, rather, it's a modification/simplification of a New York Times recipe.

In my version, I used packaged gnocchi, prepared according to the directions on the package. Rather than whole lobster tails, I used frozen lobster tails, thawed and broiled. And I reworked the sauce a little, most notably, clarifying the butter rather than just browning it. And, as I was cooking it on Valentine's day, I adjusted the recipe for two.

2 Lobster tails
1/2 package potato gnocchi
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped.
1 lemon
Fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
Olive oil (for oiling lobster tails)

Preparation - Thaw lobster tails in fridge or under cold running water. Toast walnuts on pie plate or cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until they just start to brown. After walnuts are toasted, set oven to Broil so it's ready for the lobster tails.

Sauce: Melt butter and bring to a boil. As it cooks, a thick foam will rise to the top. Spoon this foam off and discard (if you're using salted butter, this will also pull out a lot of the salt). What's left should be a clear liquid. Keep at a simmer and cook until the butter is slightly brown. Add walnuts and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and grate in lemon zest from lemon (I use a microplane grater). Let cool several minutes and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Grate in a few grates of cheese and a pinch of pepper.

Lobster: Oil the thawed lobster tails and broil shell side up for 4 minutes, flip and broil shell side down for another 3-4 minutes. Split open and remove lobster meat and slice/shred it.

Gnocchi: prepare according to directions on package. I find it's best to make the gnocchi last since overcooking it can make it mushy, and it generally takes only a few minutes to cook.

Once the gnocchi is cooked, arrange it on a plate with the lobster and spoon the sauce on top. Grate additional cheese to taste and enjoy!