Boursin, Bacon and Gnocchi

Our family loves some good gnocchi. While some of the boys picked out the broccoli, I think this recipe was a hit. Here is the original recipe: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/boursin-bacon-and-broccoli-gnocchi/

I have also made this recipe with peas and carrots instead of broccoli as pictured.

Boursin, Bacon and Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 250g / 9oz Broccoli, sliced into small bite-sized pieces (weight is of the sliced broccoli)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, plus more as needed
• Or you can use some frozen peas, or peas and carrots instead of roasting the broccoli
• 150g / 5.3oz bacon, diced
• 2 small Shallots, finely diced
• 180ml / 3/4 cup low-salt Chicken Stock (see notes)
• 1x 150g/5.3oz block of Garlic & Herb Boursin Cheese, leave at room temp
• 60ml / 1/4 cup Single Cream/Half & Half, leave at room temp
• 20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 500g / 1lb uncooked Gnocchi (see notes)
• 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 390F. Add the broccoli to a small baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly charred and fork tender (timings will vary so just be vigilant).
• Or you can use some frozen peas, or peas and carrots instead of roasting the broccoli.
2. Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large pan over medium heat and fry until crispy with the fat rendered down. Remove the bacon and place to one side, leaving the excess fat in the pan. Add the shallots and fry until soft and golden.
• Or you can add the shallots to the bacon for the last 5 minutes or so of frying and cook them together.
3. Pour in the stock then stir in the Boursin until it melts. Stir in the cream and parmesan, then gently simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. During this time bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it into the sauce. Stir to coat the gnocchi in the sauce, then stir in the bacon and broccoli (or peas, or peas and carrots). Turn the heat to low and gently stir for another minute or so until the sauce re-thickens. If it over-thickens at any point just stir in a splash of the leftover gnocchi water.
5. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed, then serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Marsha's Notes:

I have done it both ways, where I cook the gnocchi in a separate pan and then add to the dish... or I have just added extra chicken stock to the pan with the bacon and shallots and cooked the gnocchi there to save on dishes.

I also didn't see much point in removing the bacon and shallots from the pan just to add them back in later, so I left them.

You do not remove the bacon grease from the pan... instead, it sort of acts like the fat you need for the sauce instead of using butter. But, if you feel like you have too much, you can take some out, or you could discard it all together and use some butter instead. I was worried there would be too much grease, but I "trusted the process" and left it all in and everything turned out fine. It can be really rich, and depending on the bacon, it can be salty, so those might be points in favor or removing some/all of the grease and using butter instead.

Because we are a family of five, I wanted to have plenty of food, so I used two packages of gnocchi, and added extra stock and half and half until I got a ratio that I liked for the sauce.