1427. GNOCCHI with BACON, BLUE CHEESE and MASCARPONE

serves four


400 grams packet potato gnocchi
5 spring onions
100 grams medium-flavoured soft blue cheese, such as dolcelatte
250 grams tub mascarpone
225 grams bag washed baby spinach
50 grams pack cooked thin and crispy smoked streaky bacon
green salad and crusty bread, to serve

Put a pan of salted water on to boil for the gnocchi. Meanwhile, slice the spring onions and blue cheese. Spoon the mascarpone into a large deep frying pan. Add the blue cheese and spring onions and leave to melt over a medium heat.

Stir the mascarpone mixture. Tip the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes, until they rise to the surface.

Add the spinach in large handfuls to the cheese mixture and stir until just wilted. Crumble in half the bacon. Skim the gnocchi from the pan with a draining spoon, stir into the cheese mixture, then crumble over the remaining bacon. Serve with salad and crusty bread.


courtesy of: Sara Buenfeld, Good Food magazine, March 2002