Baked Semolina Gnocchi with Bacon  HT  MC  Italian  30mins plus cooling

Serves 2    Hot Pork  Vegetables  Herbs Main Course    Italy  Europe

Ingredients
450ml/15fl.oz . Milk or Vegetable Stock
100g /4oz Semolina
1 Large Egg, beaten
75g/3oz Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Black Pepper
25g/1oz Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
½ a large Onion, finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
4 Rashers of Streaky Bacon, chopped
1 x 400g/14oz tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Bay leaf
1 teasp Sugar

Instructions

1. Place the milk or stock in a large saucepan, bring to the boil then sprinkle in the semolina, stirring constantly and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes or until the mixture is very thick

2. Remove from the heat, then add the egg, half the cheese, salt and pepper and mix well.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large baking tray or board and spread it out evenly to a depth of about 12mm/½“ thick. Set aside and allow it to set and cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, make the sauce by heating the butter and olive oil in a medium sized saucepan then sauté the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.

5. Add the chopped bacon and fry for a few minutes until golden brown then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and slightly reduced. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and set aside until you’re ready to bake the gnocchi.

6. Once cold, preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 and grease a wide shallow ovenproof dish which is large enough to take the pieces (overlapped) in a single layer.

5. Cut the set semolina mixture into 5cm /2-inch squares, circles or triangles then arrange them, very slightly overlapping in the greased dish. 

6. Pour the sauce over the top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

More Gnocchi Recipes  |    More Vegetarian  Recipes  |  What's in Season 

Overseas Visitors:        If you're more used to measuring ingredients by the cup, we have the most comprehensive weight to cups conversion table on the net - both solid ingredients and liquids - so now you can easily convert our recipes to suit your preference. Click here to go to the chart.