Creamy Roasted Garlic Gnocchi with Bacon

This Creamy Roasted Garlic Gnocchi with Bacon is a delicious, indulgent, and insanely flavorful dish. Aside from the roasted garlic it comes together in one pot, making it a perfect easy dinner recipe for busy nights. If you like creamy gnocchi, this recipe takes it up a notch.

A FEW INGREDIENT NOTES FOR THIS CREAMY ROASTED GARLIC GNOCCHI DISH:

• Garlic: This recipe of course calls for roasted garlic as the title suggests. You'll need one entire large head of garlic.
• Bacon: Regular bacon works best for this recipe. It's cooked until crispy and sprinkled on top of the dish, and the shallots are cooked in the bacon fat.
• Gnocchi: Shelf-stable gnocchi works best for this recipe as it is pretty sturdy and the starch that comes off helps thicken the sauce.
• Shallot: I really love adding shallots to pasta recipes - similar but a bit milder than an onion.
• Chicken broth: Since the gnocchi is cooked right in the sauce, adding chicken broth provides enough liquid to both cook the gnocchi and help transform the sauce.
• Heavy cream: Wouldn't be creamy gnocchi without heavy cream!
• Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese of course helps aid with the sauce but also brings a perfect saltiness that isn't overwhelming.
• Parsley: Topping this dish with chopped parsley adds a perfect fresh element.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:

• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Small sheet pan
• Aluminum foil
• 4QT sauté pan
• Measuring cups
• Wood spoon

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HOW TO MAKE ROASTED GARLIC:

Roasting garlic is one of the easiest things to do and adds incredible flavor to just about any dish.

To roast garlic: preheat your oven to 400℉. Chop the top of the garlic off to expose all the cloves (about ½" - 1" down). Drizzle the garlic with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap it in aluminum foil (top of the garlic facing up). Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown.

To remove the cloves from the head, allow it to cool slightly then simply squeeze at the base and the cloves should pop right out.

Some more info on roasted garlic here.

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY ROASTED GARLIC GNOCCHI WITH BACON:

This creamy roasted garlic gnocchi recipe is so decadent and delicious with seriously easy (and only a few!) steps:

• Step 1: Roast the garlic. Cut the top off the garlic deep enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 400℉ oven for 40-50 minutes until golden.
• Step 2: Cook the bacon. Cut your bacon into 1" pieces (prior to cooking). Then add the pieces of bacon to your pan before heating it up. Turn the heat on medium-high and cook until crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Leave the bacon fat!
• Step 3: Start on the sauce. Melt the butter in the bacon fat and sauté the shallot until translucent. Add the roasted garlic and break it up a bit with your spoon. Then add in the chicken broth, heavy cream, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Heat on high and bring to a boil.
• Step 4: Add the gnocchi. Once the broth mixture is boiling, add in the gnocchi and reduce to medium-low. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. Then add in the parmesan cheese and mix to combine.
• Step 5: Finish. To serve, sprinkle with the cooked bacon and fresh chopped parsley.

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HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE:

This recipe is best eaten fresh, as it will separate a bit when saved and reheated.

However, you can totally still save it - tastes delicious always. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat as you would any other pasta dish.

OTHER INDULGENT PASTA RECIPES:

• Roasted Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
• Spinach, Pesto & Cheese Stuffed Shells
• Perfect Creamy Tomato Sauce
• Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

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