Gnocchi with zucchini cream and pancetta
Gnocchi with zucchini cream and pancetta is a very easy, quick and tasty first course.
I prepared this dish one evening when I had some courgettes (zucchini) left in the fridge.
All I did was to brown the diced zucchini with the shallots and then I blended them with a little Parmigiano.
Separately I browned the bacon in a pan until crispy.
The beauty of this recipe, in addition to being very quick, is that it is really creamy thanks to the gnocchi cooking water which is rich in starch and made my dish creamy.
Then I put the courgette cream in the pan, added the gnocchi, boiled and drained separately, mixed everything together and then topped with the sweet crispy pancetta.
DELIZIOSO!
Ingredients:
- Zucchini or courgettes, the main ingredient of this dish which you can easily substitute with other vegetables like eggplants, peas, etc.
- Pancetta dolce (sweet Italian bacon), the second ingredient. It can be easily replaced with other meats such as Italian sausage or speck. You could also make it vegan by adding some crunchy diced mushrooms!
- Last but not least the Gnocchi, I used the Mini Potato Gnocchi already prepared by the brand DeCecco (#1 in Italy) but you can make the Gnocchi from scratch, made of carrots or even replace them with short pasta!
All you have to do is try what best works for you and if you decide to make my version you will not be disappointed!
It’s truly a new addition to the usual gnocchi seasoning!
Recommended items for this recipe:
Gnocchi with zucchini cream and pancetta is an extremely simple first course to prepare but at the same time also very appetizing. The delicate flavor of the courgettes is enlivened by the strong and decisive taste of the bacon which in turn is made crunchy by browning in the pan. The ingredients to create this dish are few and easy to find and for this reason you can prepare gnocchi with courgettes and bacon even on the occasion of unexpected visits from friends who stop for lunch with you.
- 1/2 1 diced shallot
- 1 1 diced zucchini
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 17.5 oz Mini Potato Gnocchi
- 2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt&pepper (to taste)
- Fresh Basil leaf (to garnish)
Brown the pancetta in a medium-sized non-stick pan, taking care to turn it from time to time to ensure that it is well cooked on all sides; when the bacon has become crispy, remove it from the pan and keep it aside.
In another pan, add the diced shallot with a drizzle of oil and once golden, add the diced zucchini.
Add a little cooking water and cook for 25 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper.- Place a pan with plenty of salted water on the heat where you will cook the gnocchi once the water boils.
Place the cooked zucchini to a blender, add some Parmigiano and blend everything until smooth
Add the zucchini cream in the same pan where you previously cooked them and add the already cooked and drained gnocchi.
Add Parmigiano, freshly ground pepper and mix well.
Serve hot with crispy pancetta on top and fresh basil leaf.
If you want to give a pinch of extra flavor to this dish, you can also add a little chopped chilli pepper along with the courgettes. You can also lightly deglaze the courgettes and onion with a splash of white wine.
