Bacon stuffed gnocchi with creamy broccoli

Here in Croatia gnocchi are very often served at the seaside prepared by many different recipes. Often served with tomato sauce or creamy sauces like quattro formaggi. When I traveled to Italy I always ate quattro formaggi gnocchi, from Venice to Padua and Bologna. While eating my way through one of those cities I discovered stuffed gnocchi. There were those stuffed with pesto, with different herbs and even with bacon. When I tried the last one I was so positively surprised, the bacon stuffed gnocchi were served with a simple pesto, which was good, but I though there could be a better sauce which could compliment the bacon inside.

My recipe was inspired by a discovery on one of my trips to Italy. Broccoli cooked in vegetable broth and served as a creamy sauce compliment the crispy salty bacon and gnocchi are like a bow on a present – tying everything together. Hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did!

 

Preparation: 30 min

Cook time: 45 min

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 250 g potatoes
• 170 g flour
• 3 egg yolks
• salt to taste
• flour for rolling out
• 150 g bacon, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped finely
• salt & pepper to taste
• 250 g broccoli, sliced
• 150 ml vegetable broth
• 70 g butter
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 100 ml cooking cream
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

How to

1. Place the unpeeled potatoes in a pot of slightly salted water and bring to a boil. Cook them until tender.
2. Meanwhile heat a small pan over medium heat. Add bacon, garlic and chopped fresh garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook until crispy.
3. When potatoes are cooked, drain them, remove skin and mash them up. Place them in a large bowl. Add flour, egg yolks and salt. Mix until you get a slightly sticky dough.
4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Using a pastry cutter or a glass, cut out approx. 20 circular patterns. Place 1 tsp of crispy bacon on top and using your hands form gnocchi.
5. In a large pot bring slightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and when they come up to the surface cook for a few more minutes.
6. Meanwhile cook sliced broccoli in vegetable broth until soft. In a medium pan heat butter and add chopped onion and let it simmer. Add cooked broccoli to chopped onion and season with 1 tsp of nutmeg, salt & pepper. Simmer for 1 minute, pour cooking cream over and cook until thick.
7. Serve cooked stuffed gnocchi covered in broccoli sauce and finish by grating Parmesan cheese over them.