Gnocchi, Gorgonzola, and Bacon

I just returned from AWS re:Invent and am ready for some solid food. AWS feeds a great breakie and lunch but leaves you to the tender mercies of Las Vegas for dinner. While Las Vegas has some world-class restaurants, they are booked for vendor private events. One saving grace is Asia Noodle in the Venetian; they are a world-class restaurant for Asian night market food. I’ve eaten at least one dinner there every re:Invent since 2012.

But now I am home, locked in the ice and snow, and want a hearty meal; poking in the freezer, I find a package of frozen gnocchi and a package of bacon along with some frozen peas. I have a bit of Gorgonzola, a small block of mozzarella, and a dusting of Parmesan in the fridge. This screams Alfredo. But for that unique roguechef twist, I’ll cook my gnocchi, brown them off in the rendered bacon fat, and build an Alfredo sauce in the pan, adding various herbs and peas for color.

I’ll serve with Parmesan to dust when I serve, keeping the black pepper grinder close by on a coarse setting. Maybe serve with a good green salad (A Caesar salad would not be out of place here) and some good crusty Italian bread.

From Wikipedia:

Gnocchi are a varied family of dumplings in Italian cuisine. They are made of small rolls of dough, such as those composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, potato, egg, and salt. Variations of the dish supplement the simple recipe with flavour additives, such as semolina flour, cheese, breadcrumbs, cornmeal or similar ingredients, and possibly including herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients. Base ingredients may be substituted with alternatives such as sweet potatoes for potatoes or rice flour for wheat flour. Such variations are often considered to be non-traditional.

Gnocchi are commonly cooked in salted boiling water and then dressed with various sauces. They are usually eaten as a first course (primo) as an alternative to soups (minestre) or pasta, but they can also be served as a contorno (side dish) to some main courses. Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter with sage, pesto, and various sauces. Gnocchi may be homemade, made by specialty stores, or produced industrially and distributed refrigerated, dried, or frozen. Small soup gnocchi are sometimes made by pressing the dough through a coarse sieve or a perforated spoon.

Bacon Gorgonzola Gnocchi

Gnocchi lightly fried in bacon fat, then tossed into a simple alfredo of bacon, cheeses, and herbs

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Pasta

Cuisine Global

Servings 2 people

Calories 494 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pkg Potato Gnocchi 1 lb
• 1/2 lb Bacon Thick cut, sliced to lardons
• 4 tbsp Gorgonzola Cheese
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella Shredded
• 2-3 tbsp Parmesan Grated
• 2 ea Green Onions Cleaned, sliced thin
• 2-3 tbsp Parsley Chopped Fine

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• In a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat, cook the bacon until it is browned and crisp-chewy
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
• Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
• Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions in the pot of boiling water.
• Drain the Gnocchi reserving one cup of the cookiung water
• Return the pan with bacon grease to medium high heat. 
• Add the drained gnocchi and toss to coat.
• Cook the gnocchi, stirring frequently, until golden brown on most surfaces
• Lower the heat to medium, add all of the cheeses and a deep spoonful of the water
• Stir gently, adding more pasta water -if necessary- to help the cheese melt and form a sauce.
• Stir in the bacon, sliced green onions and parsley.
• Serve Hot, with extra Parmesan, side with good crusty bread and a heartly salad

Notes

A nice, tasty, hearty meal that can be vegetarian by dropping the bacon (SHUDDER).

 

One can add additional vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts, or spinach.

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 16gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 833mgPotassium: 251mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 418IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Alfredo, Bacon, Cheese, Gnocchi, Gorganzola, Pasta

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