Baked Gnocchi with Pesto, Peas, and Pancetta
Author Notes: This dish was inspired by a truffle gnocchi mac n’ cheese I had a month or so back and am still dreaming about. Since truffles don't quite fit in with my budget, I opted for pancetta, because when in doubt, add bacon. And a little pesto never hurt either. —PhoebeLapine
Serves: 4-6
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2
pounds fresh gnocchi
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4
ounces pancetta, finely diced
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4
tablespoons butter
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1/3
cup flour
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3 cups milk
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1/4
teaspoon fresh nutmeg
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1/3 cup pesto
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1 cup frozen peas
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3/4 cup grated fontina
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1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the gnocchi for 1-2 minutes, just to defrost them. They cook extremely quickly and will finish off in the oven, so don't over do them.
- In the meantime, fry the pancetta in 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over a medium flame. When fully liquified, whisk in the flour to create a roue. Add the milk and nutmeg, and simmer until reduced by half. Add the pesto, peas, pancetta, and gnocchi, and stir to combine.
- Place mixture in a large casserole or gratin dish and cover with the grated fontina. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese has become brown and crispy. It is delicious at this point. But for an extra crunch, remove from oven, cover with breadcrumbs, and return for another 5 minutes. The top should have a nice brown crust.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Baked Pasta
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You have added all of my favorite ingredients into one dish - gnocchi, pesto and pancetta! Yum!
Never tried to bake gnocchi but now I read this, I think it will actually be better than just cooked. And you are right, you can work miracles with bacon and pesto.
Heavenly. I love baked gnocchi.
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