baked asparagus bacon gnocchetti

To celebrate Spring, try this baked gnocchetti with asparagus and tomatoes. Toss in bacon and this dish makes me happy. Local asparagus is now in season and I crave it this time of the year. I have been making gnocchi or gnocchetti dishes for years.  I can’t recall baking the gnocchetti without first boiling it in water.  Last year I saw a few sheet pan versions floating around the internet but never attempted to try it.  I hesitated to make this dish because I felt sure the gnocchetti wouldn’t be cooked or might turn out hard.  Boy, was I wrong!  The gnocchetti was pillowy soft! It’s a dish that can easily be made during a weeknight…have it ready in the time it takes for the oven to heat up.  The flavours from this recipe were so delicious!

you will need

500g gnocchi or gnocchetti
asparagus bunch, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
4 or 5 slices of bacon, sliced
burrata cheese
olive oil
pesto

method

Preheat oven to 400f (200c). Grab a large dish and drizzle olive oil over the base. Add gnocchetti, asparagus, tomatoes and bacon. Stir to combine and drizzle olive oil over the top.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have become soft and the bacon is cooked. Remove from oven, tear apart burrata cheese and spread all over. Spoon pesto over the top and serve immediately.

the culinary chase’s note:

If the asparagus has thick stalks, I recommend par-boiling first to ensure it is cooked. Enjoy!