In my years using their meal box service, one of my favourite things about HelloFresh has been the fact you can recreate your favourite meals over and over again, like this lovely Pancetta Gnocchi recipe.
It’s a recipe I cooked for the first time, ooh, about a year and a half ago now, and is a family-pleasing favourite of ours that’s impressive to eat but speedy to cook up. Plus it includes one of the very best ingredients on the planet cooked in the very best way: gnocchi, fried.
None of this slimy boiled rubbish, fried gnocchi is absolutely where it’s at.
Fried gnocchi: you’ll never eat it any other way.
As they know I’m such a fan, HelloFresh dropped me a line to ask me to cook up one of their meals that I loved the most, and so of course I went for the pancetta gnocchi recipe.
HelloFresh did some research on the UK’s cooking habits recently, finding that Brits spend on average 26 seconds admiring their meals once cooked, with Millenials (like me!) experiencing the most pride, taking up to 40 seconds to look at (and sometimes photograph) their food. HelloFresh wanted to acknowledge these moments of culinary pride by adding this emotional step of pride to their ‘Food For Thought‘ collection of 30 recipes, including my favourite, the pancetta gnocchi recipe.
They’ve kindly let me re-create this lovely recipe on More Than Toast, including the final ‘Satisfaction Step’ of adding a sprinkling of parsley and parmesan cheese. So go forth, re-create, take pride and enjoy!
Pancetta Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Echalion shallot
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 small Punnet chestnut mushrooms
- 1 half Broccoli head, chopped into florets
- 1 pack Pancetta lardons
- 1 handfull Flat leaf parsley
- 350 grams Gnocchi
- 2 tbsp Crème Fraîche
- 1 handful Parmesan
- 100 ml Water
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 100°C. Put a large saucepan of water with a pinch of salt on to boil for the broccoli. Halve, peel and chop the shallot into small pieces. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Slice each mushroom into about four pieces. Roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all).
Add the broccoli to the pan of boiling water and simmer until just cooked, 3-4 mins. Once cooked, drain in a colander and keep to the side. TIP: Don't worry about it going cold, it will be warmed up in the sauce later!
Meanwhile, heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the gnocchi and fry until crispy around the edges, about 8 mins. TIP: Cook the gnocchi in batches if your frying pan is not big enough to cook it all in a single layer (you want it brown and crispy). Once cooked, transfer the gnocchi to a lined baking tray and place on the middle shelf of your oven to keep warm. Keep the pan!
Heat another splash of oil in your now empty frying pan over high heat. Add the shallot and pancetta and cook, stirring, until the pancetta has browned and the shallot is soft , 4 mins. Add the mushrooms and fry until they are soft and browned, 5 mins. Finally, add the garlic, stir together and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the water (see ingredients for amount) and a pinch of pepper to your frying pan. Allow to simmer over medium heat until the water has reduced, 8-10 mins.
Once reduced, stir the crème fraîche into the sauce. Add in the gnocchi and broccoli and give it all a good stir, making sure everything is nicely warmed through. Taste for seasoning and add some salt and pepper if necessary. Divide the gnocchi between your bowls, sprinkle over the cheese and top with parsley. Enjoy!
Look at what you’ve created! Feels good, doesn’t it? Did you know, when you accomplish a task, your brain gets a little boost? The pride you’re feeling is a direct result of that. Now grab a fork and enjoy!
Thanks to HelloFresh for working with More Than Toast on this collaborative post.