During the week, we often don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen cooking dinner. This is when quick and easy recipes can come in really handy, and they don’t have to be boring or tasteless either.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, whilst known for his decadent meals, is also a champion for simplicity in the kitchen. He’s released plenty of books and TV shows centered around convenient yet delicious cooking, which are ideal for those of us with busy lives. So, if you’re looking for another recipe to add to your rotation, then you’ll want to give his creamy leek gnocchi a go.
This tasty pasta dish, which is topped with a succulent bacon crumb, comes together in less than half an hour making it ideal for preparing midweek.
And, if you happen to have any leftovers, it makes a delicious lunch for having the next day.
On his website, Jamie said: “It’s hard to beat a warming bowl of gnocchi, particularly when it riffs off the flavours of a carbonara, complete with a deliciously crunchy bacon crumb. Whip this up for a loved one and you’re sure to win their heart.”
Here’s everything you need to make this dish, which serves two.
Jamie Oliver’s creamy leek gnocchi
Ingredients
- One rasher of smoked streaky higher-welfare bacon
- One slice of leftover bread
- One large leek (160g)
- Olive oil
- 400g fresh potato gnocchi
- One large free-range egg
- 25g Parmesan cheese
- 160g salad leaves, to serve
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
Put the bacon into a large, cold non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and cook for two to four minutes on each side. Toast the bread, tear into a food processor, add the bacon and blitz until you’ve got a crumb-like consistency.
Cut the leek in half lengthways, give it a wash and finely slice. In the same pan as the bacon, cook the leek on a medium-low heat with one tablespoon of oil for 15 minutes, or until soft and starting to colour. If it starts to look dry, add a splash of water, then season with black pepper and take off the heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the gnocchi according to packet directions. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining.
Whisk the egg, Parmesan and a pinch of black pepper in a bowl. Remove the leek from the heat, add to the gnocchi and stir in the egg mixture along with a splash of cooking water to make a creamy sauce.
To serve, divide the gnocchi between two plates and sprinkle over the crumb. Dress the salad leaves with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and serve.
