When it comes to cooking, Hetty Lui McKinnon has a knack for seeing what others don’t. With a gift for fusing ingredients from different cultures, this Chinese Australian cookbook author who lives in Brooklyn creates dishes that aren’t confounding, but rather thoughtfully and marvelously cohesive.

After all, who else would think to take Italian gnocchi and turn it into a foundation for Korean bibimbap?

Her “Bibimbap-Style Gnocchi with Gochujang Vinaigrette” absolutely works, too, with purchased gnocchi taking the place of the usual chewy Korean rice cakes or fluffy steamed rice.

The recipe is from her latest cookbook, “Linger” (Alfred A. Knopf), of which I received a review copy. It’s a collection of hearty salads and simple desserts that are especially dear to her heart.

In fact, salads are what inspired her culinary career. As a mother of three living in Australia, she started a salad delivery service out of her home. Two days a week, for four years, she made salads and delivered them on her bike to customers.

Even now, a spread of salads is her favorite way to welcome friends and family around her dining table.

In the book, she shares her rules for salad, which include:

• Salads don’t always have leaves.

• Anything can be a salad.

• Eat salads at room temperature. (When too cold, their flavor is muted. The only exceptions are cold noodle or tofu salads, which should be served cold.)

The chapters are designed around salads that go together plus a sweet to serve at the end. But you can easily pick and choose, too.

Among the delights are “Ginger-Roasted Kabocha with Black Rice and Ginger-Miso Dressing,” “Gruyere, Jalapeno and Scallion Mochi Balls,” “Falafel-in-Spirit Salad,” “Potato Chip Salad” (a layered salad with zucchini, spiced yogurt, and yes, potato chips), and “Black Sesame Tofu ‘Basque’ Cheesecake.”

This bibimbap is a breeze to make because it needs only one skillet. It’s easily customizable, too. It’s also vegan, but because everything is cooked and arranged individually, you could put out a separate bowl of shredded poached or roasted chicken or shrimp for any carnivores on hand to help themselves.

Shiitakes get sauteed in a skillet. Then, that same pan is used to saute spinach. Afterward, excess liquid is squeezed out of the spinach before it’s chopped, drizzled with sesame oil, and strewn with sesame seeds.

The pan is then used to saute bean sprouts, which then get tossed with Korean chile flakes. Instead of bean sprouts, I used pretty sugar snap peas I found at the market instead. I also snuck in some sliced baked tofu to add more protein. See what I mean about how easy it is to make this recipe your own?

Lastly, saute store-bought gnocchi in the pan until they crisp up nicely.

Arrange a little bit of everything in individual serving bowls. Drizzle on a vinaigrette made with Korean chile paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, and garlic. Then, top with green onions and more sesame seeds.

It’s like a grain bowl’s more worldly cousin. There is a range of textures, with the meaty mushrooms, the crisp-tender snap peas, the silky spinach, and the gnocchi that’s at once crisp, soft, and almost a little chewy.

Mix it all together, and you’ll experience the nuttiness from the sesame oil, and a moderate hit of heat (which will depend on the brand of gochujang used). It’s also quite healthful tasting, what with all the vegetables.

It will certainly make you look at gnocchi in a way you never expected.

Bibimbap-Style Gnocchi with Gochujang Vinaigrette

(Serves 4)

Extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Sea salt and black pepper

1 bunch (10 ounces) spinach, washed well

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 to 4 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds

6 ounces bean sprouts (see Note)

2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes, optional)

1 pound gnocchi (vacuum-sealed, shelf-stable, fresh or frozen)

1 scallion, finely sliced

For gochujang vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chile paste)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, grated

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Return the pan to the heat.

In the same pan, heat another drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and season, with salt and pepper. Toss until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander. When cool enough to handle, use your hands to squeeze any remaining liquid out of the spinach. Roughly chop and place in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of the sesame seeds and a little pinch of salt and mix to coat. Set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat and add a little more olive oil. Add the bean sprouts and toss until they are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the gochugaru (if using), season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.

Place the same pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the gnocchi, season with salt and toss until well coated, about 30 seconds. Leave to cook undisturbed until the gnocchi are golden and crispy on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss the gnocchi until crispy in some parts but still soft and pillowy, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, place the gochujang, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon water and whisk to combine. If the vinaigrette is too thick or spicy, add another teaspoon or 2 of water to dilute.

Divide the gnocchi among 4 serving bowls and top with the mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts and the remaining sesame seeds. Drizzle the gochujang vinaigrette all over. Top with the scallion and a little salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss everything together.

Note: Instead of bean sprouts, substitute sugar snap peas or most any other seasonal vegetable. Just saute in the pan until cooked, and toss with the gochugaru, if using.

For gluten-free: Use gluten-free gnocchi or rice cakes.

Substitutions: For the spinach, use kale. For the gnocchi, use roasted potatoes.

Add-ons: Add sliced, baked tofu for a protein boost.

Adapted from “Linger” by Hetty Lui McKinnon

More Recipes by Hetty Lui McKinnon to Enjoy: Steamed Tofu and Trumpet Mushrooms with Ginger, Scallion and Soy

And: Flourless Soy Sauce Brownies

And: Miso Brown Butter and Crispy Sage Pasta

And: Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon

And: Salt and Pepper Tater Tots