Gnocchi with Sage, Pancetta, and a butter sauce
by Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com
I made gnocchi, chicken, and roasted potatoes the other night for a quick dinner and was thinking about how many people probably don’t know about the great ingredient of gnocchi.
Gnocchi is made in modern times from potatoes and generally is low in calories and fat. I say “in modern times,” because gnocchi was originated in the Middle East dating back to at least Roman times and was made from dough (flour, eggs, water, etc.) You can still find it made from various items but the one I cover is made from potatoes. Regadless of the ingredients, gnocchi gets its name from its shape which means “lumps.” You can tell gnocchi from it’s signature shape (little lumps.)
The gnocchi I use, De Cecco, has 240 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber per serving (with 3 servings in a container.) One serving is enough for one person and when you combine it with a small piece of chicken it’s even more filling. The added bonus here is that its made from potatoes, which keep you full for a long time. This is especially true when compared to pasta. Pasta is close in calories and fat but will leave you hungry sooner than gnocchi.
So how do you make it? That’s the beauty of gnocchi as it’s easy to make a version that tastes wonderful and will keep you and even kids coming back for more (my sons love it.) Keep in mind that I do not cover how to make homemade gnocchi in this article. I use pre-packaged fare which some will find offensive, but the full article on making it yourself comes later. 🙂
De Cecco Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 Package Gnocchi (you can find this in most grocery stores by the pasta)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh minced Sage (leaves)
- 4 ounces Pancetta
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fill a large pot with water and turn up the temperature to high to boil it. Proceed to do the next steps while you wait.
Chop up the pancetta into small pieces and pan-fry it until crisp in a large skillet. Remove from the skillet and drain on a plate with paper towels (to remove any excess fat.) Do not wash out the skillet but do remove it from the heat to prevent burning. Add in the tablespoon of butter at this point but leave off the heat.
Chiffonade the Sage. Chiffonade means to slice fresh herbs or leafy greens into long thin strips. You do this by putting the leaves of the Sage next to one another, rolling them into a tight bundle, and then slicing the bundle thinly.
Once the water is boiling, add the gnocchi and cook according to the directions (this only takes a few minutes.) While it is boiling, turn the heat up to medium on the skillet with the butter in it. When the gnocchi is done, remove it with a slotted spoon and add it to the skillet.
Toss the gnocchi in the butter and add the salt, pepper, and pancetta to it. Now add the fresh Sage and serve. Top each serving with the grated cheese. See how easy that was?
In the future try making gnocchi with the following ideas and create your own!
- Gnocchi with butter, garlic, and Pamigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cheese
- Gnocchi with butter, basil, garlic, and Pamigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Gnocchi with red pasta sauce
Enjoy!
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