Blue Gnocchi

While in Hong Kong I did a bit of work at an Italian restaurant/deli/grocer as a marketing coordinator. Seems a bit strange; an American in Hong Kong, working for Italians, with a client base who is 50% French. This gave me a great chance to experience many cultures in one place. One thing which I was happy to learn was the many great Italian dishes and wines. The Italians posses such a great variety of cuisines and wines that it's astounding. Each region of Italy seems to have their own dishes of which they defend to the death.


One dish I found myself ordering almost daily was gnocchi al gorgonola (gnocchi with gorgonzola for those who couldn't make the connection.) This is a simple yet flavorful dish which can be made in about the same amount of time it takes to make a kraft dinner. So if you're cooking for your girlfriend/date/friend just forget the ramen noodles and give this a try, it will be sure to impress.

Ingredients 

1lb gnocchi (homemade or store bought)

150 grams of gorgonzola cheese (about 1/3 of a pound)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots thinly sliced

1 tablespoon parmigiano reggiano (the real parmesan cheese)

Salt and pepper

A bit of basil

Preparation

1. Heat pan to medium heatt with olive oil and shallot for 1 minute.
   
2. Add gorgonzola and cream and stir until the ingredients are combined.
   
3. Add the parmigiano reggiano, a pinch of salt and pepper and stir until creamy.
   
4. Cook gnocchi in a pot of boiling water until they float to the top.
   
5. Add cooked gnocchi to the pan with the sauce and toss for 1 minute.
   
6. Top with pepper and a bit of basil, serve hot, and enjoy!

That's it, an amazingly easy Italian dish which is a great departure from the classic pasta with ragu, prepared in 10 minutes.