Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Gnocchi with Pancetta, Mushrooms, and Gruyere

Main Dishes

Apolinaras and I finally checked out Foundry on Elm, a newish hot spot in our neighborhood, on one of our recent date nights. It was packed on the Tuesday evening we went and we could see why after we tried the creative cocktails. Mine was called the Bee’s Knees and was a mix of gin, lemon, and honey syrup – yum! Most of the food was pretty tasty as well, and I especially savored every bite of the spaetzle, which was mixed with ham, exotic mushrooms, hazelnuts, and aged Comté. I actually wanted to recreate this dish at home and couldn’t believe it when Deb from Smitten Kitchen posted about how to make spaetzle the very next day!

Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten around to trying the recipe yet, but I did take inspiration from our meal and used some gnocchi from Trader Joe’s to whip up this super quick weeknight dinner. I mixed the gnocchi with pancetta, mushrooms, garlic, gruyere, and walnuts. This came together in just 20 minutes and we really enjoyed it. In fact, we had a little scuffle over who got the leftovers the next day for lunch!

Gnocchi with Pancetta, Mushrooms, and Gruyere
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 17.6-ounce package whole wheat potato gnocchi from Trader Joe’s
1 4-ounce package pancetta
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Prepare gnocchi according to package directions and drain.

Place pancetta in a large nonstick skillet and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Place pancetta in a small bowl and add mushrooms to the pan; sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Add mushrooms to the bowl with the pancetta. Place olive oil and butter in the skillet and sauté gnocchi for 3 minutes. Mix in pancetta and mushrooms, gruyere cheese, walnuts, and salt and stir until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 728 calories, 44.2g fat, 4.6g fiber, 25.3g protein per serving
Cost: $2.73 per serving

Cumin Rubbed Salmon with a Fresh Corn and Red Pepper Sauce

Apolinaras kept popping his head in the kitchen last night while I was prepping dinner because he was so excited we were having salmon. Apparently he thought a little cheering from the sidelines would hurry things along because he kept doing little dances to amuse me....

Light Pesto Lasagna with Chicken and Spinach

After college graduation, I backpacked through Europe with my friend Britt. One of the highlights of our trip was hiking through the olive orchards and vineyards of the Cinque Terre, a gorgeous section of cliffs in the Italian Riveria. My favorite meal there was an...

Toasted Almond and Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta

Please don’t judge this recipe by the picture. It’s not the best looking pasta dish to begin with and my hopeless photography skills definitely don’t help do it any justice, but I can guarantee you that it’s worth making! I was recently asked whether I usually end up...

Quinoa with Chickpeas, Asparagus, and Lemon Goat Cheese Dressing

I actually jogged outside today with shorts and a tank top on – yay for nicer weather! Spring is almost here and I’m so ready for this season’s fresh produce. I actually couldn’t wait any longer and spontaneously grabbed a huge bunch of asparagus the other weekend. It...

Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Meatloaf

Poor meatloaf. I think meatloaf tends to get a bad rap, but I will always have a soft spot for it because it was the first dish I ever made for Apolinaras. I was a baby of 22 and just starting to get comfortable in the kitchen when I invited him over for dinner. We’d...

Sesame Chicken with Soba Noodles

I spent the last week at a science conference in Colorado – check out the gorgeous views! While most people ski during the afternoon breaks at Keystone meetings, I decided against pushing my luck with my poor knee that has been acting up again when I jog. I did get to...

French Onion Mac & Cheese

Umm, so if you’re watching your weight, you may want to click back to the last page you viewed right about now.... I tend to cook healthy dishes most of the time, but decided to go all in on this one and it was so worth it! I was in the mood for some comfort food this...

Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa

There are some things I never pass up and one of them is corn on the cob. I will eat it anytime, anywhere, even if I don’t have any floss with me. The deliciousness is definitely worth having a few annoying pieces stuck in my teeth! Of course, fresh summer corn is...