Is it fall yet? No? Dang. I’m so ready for some comfort food. In fact, ready enough to say “let’s not wait.”
This tasty recipe is easy to make and very satisfying. I had planned to toss gnocchi with some browned butter and baby spinach, sprinkle with crumbled bacon and Parmesan and call it good. I ended up taking things a little further and getting the oven involved. It was a good call.
Baked Gnocchi with Bacon and Spinach
What you need:
- 1 pkg of gnocchi (I used Target’s Archer Farms brand)
- 2 tbsp butter (separated)
- 5 strips of bacon, chopped
- 1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced (or grated with a microplane if you’re lazy like me!)
- 3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
What to do:
1. Prepare the gnocchi as directed on the package.
2. Prepare the bacon and set aside to cool. Empty the grease from the pan, then toss the spinach in the still hot bacon pan without wiping it out. Let the spinach wilt a bit, then place in a bowl and set aside.
3. Place a 1.5 qt baking dish into the oven with 1 tbsp of butter in it as you preheat the oven to 400.
4. Melt the other tbsp of butter with the minced garlic in a small microwavable bowl. Chop the bacon.
5. When the butter in the dish is melted, brush it around with a pastry brush to coat the dish. Add 1/2 of the gnocchi. Then, sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped bacon and the spinach, and half of the cheese. Add the remaining gnocchi, then drizzle with the butter, and top with the remaining cheese and bacon.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes then broil until the top is golden and bubbly (about 2 minutes).
Enjoy!
