Thursday, February 2, 2012

Gnocchi Au Gratin Orleans

Have you ever tried to make gnocchi?  I am 0 for 2; two mushy disasters.  Thank goodness my local grocery store carries gnocchi. 
I poured over several recipes for sauces for gnocchi and saw one of Emeril Lagasse's sauce recipes I really liked.  This recipe has been tweaked quite a bit to accommodate our tastes and the ingredients I had on hand.  This turned out to be a quick and tasty alternative to pasta and rice.  

1 package gnocchi (16 ounces)
3 slices of smokey bacon
1 tablespoon minced sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Louisiana hot Sauce)
Emeril's Essence, recipe follows
2/3 cup grated Parmesan  (reserve 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy and drain on a paper towel.  Once cooled, crumble and reserve.

Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet  and add the onions.  Saute for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute.  





While the veggies are sauteing, place the gnocchi in an oven-proof dish and season with Essence.

After the garlic has been in the skillet for a minute, slowly whisk in the cream, Worcestershire sauce, and  hot sauce. Bring the sauce up to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking the sauce until it thickens and reduces by 1/3.

Pour the sauce over the gnocchi and sprinkle the dish with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes, remove dish from oven and sprinkle the crumbled bacon, chopped parsley and reserved Parmesan cheese over the top.  Return the dish to the oven and bake for 3 to 4 more minutes. 






Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):


2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.


I can't wait to make this again.


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13 comments:

Claudia said...

Hot sauce and bacon and creole seasoning! What a grand punch! (I am o for 3 with my gnocchi making).

Big Dude said...

We made gnocchi once but it seemed like a lot of trouble. I've been wanting to try the store bought version and this looks like a great recipe to use.

Lyndas recipe box said...

Whoa, bacon, cream and Parmesan; I want it now. this is a seriously good sounding dish. I'm bookmarking.
I made gnocchi once, very many years ago. I can't even remeber how it turned out, but I remeber it was more work than I liked.

The JR said...

That looks really good.

I've never made it, but had it a couple of times.

Frieda Loves Bread said...

This looks soooo good! Thank you for the recipe ~ I have two secrets for making yummy potato gnocchi: 1) bake your potatoes (boiling them makes 'em mushy) and 2) use a potato ricer (makes 'em fluffy. I use the gnocchi in a creamy roasted chicken soup that is a lot like Olive Garden's.

Carol Pereira said...

never made gnocchi......yours look tempting......first time here....loving the recipes...

David said...

Katherine, We've never tried doing anything with Gnocchi at home. This sounds both simple enough and flavorful at the same time! Thanks for the recipe... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Judy said...

I have made gnocchi, but not recently. I guess I was just lucky they always came out. The sauce looks great. Emeril is a winner.

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

I love to have a taste of this wonderful dish..;P
Tasty Appetite

Lea Ann said...

I've never made or tried gnocchi before. This recipe really looks good. I might have to pick up a package next time I'm in the store and give it a try.

Chris said...

When I saw your opening question, I immediately replied, "Of course I have, I went to Sam's, bought it and cooked it" ha ha.

This sauce sounds just AMAZING!

Reeni said...

This looks insanely good! Creamy + spicy = irresistible. I keep saying I want to make my own gnocchi but in truth am too lazy. . .

Dee said...

Wow, this could be heaven on a plate. Bacon & spice can never be a bad thing. Amazing.