First up, the sauce in this Gnocchi with Creamy Bacon Sauce is actually semi low fat. It’s a twist on a typical Alfredo sauce, but using milk and low fat natural yogurt instead of cream. So while it might look like 10,000 calories in a dish, it actually comes in at under 600. Indulgence you don’t need to feel too bad about!
This recipe also serves up 3 different portions of green veg – peas, leeks and spinach. That definitely helps to undo some of the guilt from the Parmesan cheese and bacon! You could definitely substitute the bacon for more greens if you wanted a vegetarian option too.
I decided that I was going to have a go at making gnocchi from scratch. After a little research it sounded fairly straightforward. I mean, it only has 3 ingredients! As it’s a totally freezable dish I planned to make a batch, freeze individual portions and then enjoy over the next few weeks. Was I successful in my mission? Kind of. I will be posting my successful attempt in the coming week or so and will link to it here. I can tell you that the gnocchi you see in the pictures is my own homemade recipe :).
You can make this recipe with ready made or home made gnocchi depending on how adventurous you feel / how much energy you have / how much time you have spare to spend cooking. To be honest, I don’t think that the sacrifice of time to make gnocchi from scratch is a good enough trade off for using ready made if you are a busy person and time is a valuable commodity for you. Either way, this is a super delicious recipe – try it and let me know how you find it.
Gnocchi With Creamy Bacon Sauce
Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy1
servings10
minutes15
minutes575
kcalSoft and tender gnocchi combined with smoky bacon and sauteed vegetables are mixed with a light yet creamy parsley and Parmesan sauce. The ultimate comfort food – yet under 600 calories!
Ingredients
olive oil
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 a chicken stock cube, made in 200ml water
30ml semi skimmed milk
30g low fat yogurt
30g parmesan, grated
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Small handful of parsley, finely chopped
50g streaky bacon, sliced
50g leeks, sliced julienne (approx. 1 small leek)
50g frozen peas
large handful of spinach (around 30-40g)
200g ready made gnocci, or homemade if you are feeling adventurous.
Directions
- First make the sauce for the dish. In a small saucepan heat 1 tsp of olive oil over a medium high heat and then add the tsp of cornflour. Whisk quickly until the cornflour is fully mixed into the oil.
- Add the stock to the pan and whisk well. Then add the milk and stir in. Cook for 2 minutes keeping the pan at no more than a simmer.
- Add the yogurt to the pan, a spoonful at a time, whisking each addition until it’s full mixed. Once all the yogurt is added mix in the Parmesan and garlic powder and whisk again until fully combined. Cook for 2 minutes and then scatter in the parsley and remove from the heat. Set aside.
- Now to cook the rest of the meal. Heat a drizzle of olive oil, or cooking spray in a frying pan. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until it is starting to brown.
- Next add the gnocchi to the pan to crispen the edges a little. If you are using ready made gnocchi there is no need to boil it first. If you have made the gnocchi from scratch then I would advise boiling before adding to the pan (although I haven’t tried add it straight in). Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often to stop the gnocchi from catching.
- Next add in the peas and leeks and toss everything together. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes stirring every minute or so. Then add the spinach and stir around the pan for a couple of minutes, until wilted.
- Finally pour over the sauce and combine everything together. Serve and put your feet up!
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