A delightful gnocchi dinner with asparagus and bacon that’s ready in 30 minutes. This easy one-dish meal is a wonderful choice of a busy weekday meal.

Every week, before heading to the grocery store (sadly, that’s pretty much the only place I go in Jacksonville, FL), I write down all the grocery items I need for a week on a piece of paper and stick it in my purse. (Yep, the old-fashioned way!) The list is usually very long and for some reason, I don’t have a spare hand to hold a pen to cross things off. So missing one or two items during one grocery shopping trip happens pretty often to me. A better system wouldn’t hurt. I am very well aware of that. But, since we are moving to Austin, TX later this month and my life is entering a chaotic phase real soon, I’ll worry about the system later.

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Bacon

What doesn’t happen often when I am in a grocery store is picking up stuff that’s not on my list. (Don’t go grocery shopping with me because I’ll kill all the fun.)

Last week, when I grabbed an empty shopping cart and ready to make my way towards the Produce section in Publix, something caught my eye. There was a huge wall of vacuum-packed gnocchi right next to the entrance and it’s impossible to pass by without noticing it. Gnocchi was not on my list, but they were on sale. You’ve probably predicted what happened at this point…

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Bacon

After a 5-minute period of debating process, I finally decided to pick up two packages because it reminded me that we hadn’t had gnocchi for…like forever… Since vacuum-packed gnocchi can be stored for up to 3 months, I thought I’d have enough time to figure out what to do with them. The truth is that I didn’t take my time. Within two days, the gnocchi was all gone, which brings me to today’s recipe – a simple but delightful gnocchi one-dish meal.

There were excess asparagus and bacon in the fridge. Before my brother-in-law Felix got a chance to wrap the asparagus with bacon and put them on the grill, I got inspired by this gnocchi recipe. A few tweaks were made and this Gnocchi with Asparagus and Bacon came out fantastic!

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Bacon

The original recipe calls for pancetta. After trying with bacon successfully, I would confidently suggest that prosciutto or turkey pastrami wouldn’t go wrong with this recipe. Unlike bacon, prosciutto and turkey pastrami will hardly have any dripping left in your pan after cooking. Just substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil for the bacon dripping.

I also used wine as a cooking liquid. If you are not a big fan of cooking with wine, reserve 1/4 cup of the gnocchi water.

Alright then. Let me show you how to make this 30-minute dish here. Hope you enjoy!

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gnocchi with asparagus and bacon

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Bacon

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  • Author: Sharon Chen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: 30-minute Meals
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

A delightful gnocchi dinner with asparagus and bacon that’s ready in 30 minutes. This easy one-dish meal is a wonderful choice of a busy weekday meal.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 (16-ounce) vacuum-packed gnocchi
  • 6 slices bacon, cut into pieces
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 medium cloves of garlic)
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, cook gnocchi according to the package instruction. (Cook gnocchi in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until gnocchi floats on the top.) Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté for 7-8 minutes or until crispy. Transfer to a towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon dripping in the skillet.
  3. Return skillet to the heat, add minced garlic, followed by onion and asparagus. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender, stirring often.
  4. Add gnocchi and bacon, stir. Then, add wine and lemon juice. Cook for another minute, stirring often.
  5. Remove from heat. Dish and serve with parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

If you are not a big fan of cooking with wine, reserve 1/4 cup of the gnocchi water as the cooking liquid. Bacon can be substituted for prosciutto or turkey pastrami.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 607
  • Sugar: 6.8g
  • Sodium: 748mg
  • Fat: 14.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 85.1g
  • Fiber: 6.6g
  • Protein: 27.8g
  • Cholesterol: 35mg

About the Author

Sharon Chen, StreetSmart Kitchen
Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.