21 March, 2020
Broccoli Gnocchi Alfredo
This is another staple in my kitchen. I switch it up a bit sometimes with different noodles (Fettuccine is a favorite obviously) and I’ll skip the broccoli all together sometimes and use frozen vegetarian meatballs or even shrimp. It’s really all about the sauce! Once you’ve made your own Alfredo Sauce from scratch you’ll never buy the jarred stuff again. Another thing I love about this dish is it comes together fast! So keep an eye on the clock, set timers if needed.
Ingredients:
- Fresh Broccoli
- 1 pkg Potato Gnocchi (dried or frozen)
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) cut into chunks
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese + more for serving
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper for serving
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. This sauce is made from the salty starchy pasta water so salt is a must! I used about a tablespoon of salt for the water. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli into florets and add to the pot once it starts boiling. These dried mini gnocchi only take 2-3 minutes to cook, so we need to cook the broccoli for a few minutes before we add the gnocchi to the pot. Once you can pierce the broccoli with a fork add gnocchi.
After you add the gnocchi to the pot, melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan. I’m using a wok style pan here, the rounded bottom works well with any sauce that requires whisking.
Add about 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of the starchy salty pasta water to the melted butter and whisk to combine. I use a soup ladle for this.
Add Parmesan cheese, turn heat down to low, and whisk until well incorporated. Cheese should be melted and sauce will thicken and become glossy. Turn off the heat.
Once the broccoli and gnocchi are cooked I use a spider strainer to transfer them from the salty starchy water to the beautiful glossy Alfredo sauce (reserving the liquid just in case I need to add more to the sauce).
Mmmmmmm spoon into bowls and finish with some freshly ground black pepper and more grated cheese.
