Gnocchi with Bacon Cream Sauce

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Amazingly tender gnocchi are bathed in two of the best things in the world: bacon and cream, then sprinkled with cheese for one of the best dishes ever.

Amazingly tender gnocchi are bathed in two of the best things in the world: bacon and cream, then sprinkled with cheese for one of the best dishes ever.

Overhead shot of gnocchi with bacon cream sauce, garnished with parmesan cheese on Sweet Tea and Thyme | www.sweetteaandthyme.com

PIN this Gnocchi with Bacon Cream Sauce recipe in your WEEKNIGHT, DINNER, SIDE DISH, AND PASTA BOARDS on PINTEREST. And follow Sweet Tea & Thyme on Pinterest for more tips, hacks, and tasty recipes!

Gnocchi is a recent discovery for me, honestly.

Okay, so maybe not a recently recent discovery. I mean, I'd heard of it, I'd seen it, watched it be made, but never had it. I decided to make it after seeing a video by Byron Talbot, then seeing a gnocchi board at Sur La Table. It was fate telling me to make this gnocchi recipe. Finally.

But I had no idea what to eat with it.

Is it potato? I mean, yeah but I wouldn't put it with sour cream and chives.

Is it pasta? Sort of, but what do I do with potato pasta...?

Side view of gnocchi with bacon cream sauce on a china plate on Sweet Tea and Thyme | www.sweetteaandthyme.com

I went with my instincts: I put bacon, and cheese all over it.

I mean, isn't that everyone's instinct when it comes to food? Creamy, delicious, cheesy sauce with smoky bacon and savory garlic, it is divine! This stuff should be bottled and sold, honestly.

If you plan on making your gnocchi, check out my how to make homemade gnocchi post. It freezes amazingly and is surprisingly easy to make by hand with simple ingredients and you don't need any crazy equipment.

Close up view of parmesan cheese on gnocchi with bacon cream sauce on Sweet Tea and Thyme | www.sweetteaandthyme.com

Honestly, if I don't have any more gnocchi in the freezer, I'll use premade in a snap; it makes this go by even quicker, since gnocchi literally takes 2 minutes to cook and you don't have to worry about the kneading, rolling, cutting, etc.

Gnocchi is now my favorite pasta (it's pasta, right?)! It's pillowy, soft, light, it basically melts in your mouth, don't be afraid of making (or buying) some some!

Close up of bacon and gnocchi in gnocchi with bacon cream sauce on Sweet Tea and Thyme | www.sweetteaandthyme.com

I love gnocchi in comforting (and down right BOMB) chicken and gnocchi soup. This Olive Garden copycat actually blows Olive Garden out of the water!

Frequently Asked Questions

I have edited the recipe to be much more clear and hopefully easier for you guys!

What do I do with the bacon grease left in the pan?

You can pour it out, leave it in, leave half, whatever you want. This dish will still be delicious and tasty with or without the bacon grease. Try to use good quality bacon, as it will have a higher meat to fat percentage and you won't be left with a heart-stopping amount of bacon grease.

How do the eggs not scramble in the sauce?

When you add the garlic, the recipe states to turn the heat to LOW. As in, the lowest setting it can go before OFF. The dish comes together very quickly after this: the egg mixture is poured into the pan on LOW heat, then the chicken stock and cornstarch is whisked in, the gnocchi is tossed in the sauce almost immediately after. There is not enough time nor heat for the egg yolks to sit in the pan and scramble.

However, you can always turn the heat to OFF after adding the garlic or sauce mixture, to ensure there are no overcooked eggs in your sauce.

Why didn't I have any sauce?

I made the recipe to have a moderate amount of sauce. You may have left the sauce to cook in the pan, reducing the liquid and possibly cooking your eggs. In the notes, you'll see instructions to double the liquids if you want more sauce. Please make sure to season to taste and add as much parmesan cheese as you'd like.

 

Looking for more delicious Italian recipes? Check out:
Authentic Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Cracked Black Pepper Focaccia
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Osso Buco

 

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📖 Recipe

Amazingly tender gnocchi are bathed in two of the best things in the world: bacon and cream, then sprinkled with cheese for one of the best dishes ever.

Gnocchi with Bacon Cream Sauce

Eden Westbrook
Amazingly tender gnocchi are bathed in two of the best things in the world: bacon and cream, then sprinkled with cheese for one of the best side dishes ever.
4.57 from 228 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 222 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb gnocchi
  • Water enough to fill a large pot ¾ full
  • 4 strips smoked bacon chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • 2 egg yolks beaten well
  • ¼ cup 59 mL milk or cream
  • ¼ cup 20 g freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup 59 mL chicken broth
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • Kosher Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley and more parmesan to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • While bringing the water to a boil, in a medium mixing bowl, mix together egg yolks, milk, and parmesan cheese with a fork or whisk. Set aside.
  • In a large high sided saute pan or large skillet over medium high heat, cook chopped bacon to desired crispness. At this point, you could remove or keep the rendered bacon fat, it's entirely up to you. Once done, turn heat to low and add garlic. Stir well, making sure garlic doesn't burn.
  • Add gnocchi to the water and cook for 2-3 minutes, or as package describes.
  • Drain gnocchi, then add to the pan. Add the egg mixture to the skillet (heat still on low, or turned off) and mix well.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the chicken stock into the cornstarch, then add to the sauce to thicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  • Serve immediately with parsley and parmesan as garnish.

Notes

If you want more sauce (because who doesn't love this stuff?) double the cream and broth, season a bit more with salt and pepper to taste at the end. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 9gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 227mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g
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36 Comments

  1. Leslie Smith says:

    Made this tonight as a main dish. Had it with an Italian salad and garlic toast. So delicious. Now I need a nap.

  2. Thank you so much for an easy to follow recipe that was delicious. I doubled the recipe so there would leftovers.WRONG! Everyone went back for seconds so nothing left! The ultimate compliment is that this recipe was deemed a Keeper and make it again soon!!!!

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  4. This was delicious! I felt that the amount of liquid was perfect as we prefer the gnocchi to be more "glazed" versus swimming in sauce.

    This recipe has been pinned for more use!

    1. What a delicious and easy meal for unexpected guests! Your recipe saved the day! Many thanks!

  5. This is so, so, so good! My husband requests it almost weekly. I add a little lemon zest at the end and it is perfect.

  6. This was excellent. I make a new dish nearly every night in search of something a little unique, This hit the spot and is a new favorite. Thank you!

  7. Mama Maggie's Kitchen says:

    This dish looks SO deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right now!

    1. Thank you! It's my most popular recipe, so I hope you give it a try!

  8. I made this with a few changes and it was most excellent. After the bacon was rendered I removed it from the pan and sautéed 4 cloves of garlic and some finely sliced onion, then removed garlic and onion. Once the gnocchi was cooked, I added some more olive oil to the pan and bacon pan and sautéed the gnocchi to give them a crispy outside. Added the garlic/ onion/ bacon back to the pan then followed the rest of the recipe as is. Was really a great tasting dish.

  9. I made this using pancetta instead of bacon. I absolutely
    used more liquid to make more sauce and it’s amazing! Will definitely be making it again!

  10. I made this exile and it turned out my company was going to be late and I just found out as I was taking it off the stove. So I added a little extra cream and put it into a pretty pan and into the oven on very low just to keep it warm. Just before I served it I sprinkled some 1/2 fat mozzarella cheese on top and turned the oven to broil for 2 minutes and vwala... Baked Gnocci with bacon cream sauce. I served it with roasted Cornish hens and asparagus. My company raved over it they all asked for the recipe so I pointed them to your awesome site. God Bless. U and best wishes for you and your family. And best wishes for your future endeavours.

  11. Megan Brese says:

    Great recipe. I added spinach and red pepper flakes for some added flavor. I'd definitely make this again

  12. Love love love!!! Our 11 month old ate it up.
    We had the dish as our main with a side of broccoli.
    Yummy yummy yummy!!!!

    1. Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

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  14. What would you serve as the main dish with this?

    1. I serve this with simple proteins, it goes well with roasted chicken or grilled steak. It's a great side for really simple main dishes.

  15. Carol Cox says:

    This was very good! Rich and creamy, and great with gnocchi.

    I doubled the liquids as Britt suggested (which tip she includes at the bottom of the recipe), and had enough sauce to cover every potato bud and a little extra besides. I used pre-cooked bacon, so my pan was cool to start with, and added the broth/cornstarch mixture after warming the eggs and cream for about 1 minute on medium heat. I whisked constantly until the sauce was thickened and steaming. I ended up with a smooth sauce.

    1. Could I use cream cheese instead of milk and cream? Many thanks

      1. Hi Mel, I don’t believe replacing the cream with cream cheese would give either the desired taste nor texture in this recipe. However, you’re more than welcome to experiment!

  16. Jack Smith says:

    Wow you totally sold me on this :). That sauce sounds divine, and I’ve never made homemade gnocchi before, but I think this will be happening soon!

  17. Do you drain the bacon grease after bacon is cooked?

    1. You absolutely can drain it before moving on to the next steps, otherwise it will just become a very tasty part of your sauce. 🙂 Hope that helps!

  18. Jennifer M says:

    I’ll be trying this sauce for the first time tonight, this may be a stupid question but- how do the eggs not scramble when making this sauce?

    1. I was wondering the same. How did it work out for you?

      1. I left my bacon pieces on low and then added the egg mixture, followed quickly by the broth. It didn't scramble at all.

  19. Christina Shoemaker says:

    This looks incredible! I love gnocchi and don't make it often enough!

  20. I’m right with you on the bacon and cheese! This looks so good.

  21. theeatsblog says:

    That looks delicious! Definitely trying this recipe soon at home!

  22. SobeSavvy says:

    Yes to that bacon cream sauce..I wanna put it in everything!

  23. I definitely need to try this. It looks amazing

    1. Britt Anne says:

      Thank you! Definitely do!

  24. That gnocchi looks good and seems simple to make. I might have to give it a try.

    1. Britt Anne says:

      It's really easy, even my husband has made it a couple times!