Crispy Chicken, Bacon, and Pesto Gnocchi Skillet
Try this Crispy Chicken, Bacon, and Pesto Gnocchi Skillet recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Crispy Chicken, Bacon, and Pesto Gnocchi Skillet recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 2 chicken breasts chopped into hunks
- seasoned salt and pepper
- 12 oz package shelf-stable gluten-free gnocchi (i used d
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto (store-bought or homemade recipe be
- 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves torn
- 1 tablespoon walnuts
- 1 large clove garlic roughly chopped
- big pinch salt
- squeeze fresh lemon juice
- Carbohydrate 1.17299333333333 g
- Cholesterol 32.72 mg
- Fat 29.33810000727 g
- Fiber 0.197800004005432 g
- Protein 8.22482666666667 g
- Saturated Fat 8.31508266767051 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (171g)
- Sodium 438.797333333479 mg
- Sugar 0.975193329327901 g
- Trans Fat 2.3794473335302 g
- Calories 300 calories
Step-by-step
- If making homemade Small Batch Pesto: Add basil, walnuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt to a food processor then pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped. Very slowly stream in extra virgin olive oil while the food processor is running until pesto is smooth. Add a little bit of lemon juice at a time until desired taste is reached - the pesto shouldn't taste lemony, just fresh. Set aside.
- Add bacon to a cold, 12" nonstick skillet then place over medium heat. Cook until bacon is browned then scoop into a bowl and set aside, reserving bacon fat in skillet. Turn heat up slightly.
- Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper then add to the skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Scoop into a bowl then set aside.
- Add enough extra virgin olive oil to the skillet to equal 2 Tablespoons fat total then add gnocchi and arrange into a single layer. Saute until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes, then stir and continue to saute until the gnocchi are tender and golden brown all over, 2-3 additional minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium-low then add pesto, chicken, and bacon into the skillet. Stir to combine and heat ingredients through then scoop into bowls and serve.
While traditional Italian potato gnocchi are usually boiled into a pillow-soft state and blanketed in a heavy sauce, this preparation abandons the water bath entirely in favor of a direct skillet sear that transforms the potato dumplings into crunchy, golden nuggets. Starch meets fat directly in the pan, a technique that requires careful attention to thermal dynamics to prevent burning before the interior cooks through. Understanding how to manage pan capacity and rendered animal fats ensures consistent results whether cooking for one or feeding a crowd.
- Start bacon in a cold 12-inch nonstick skillet and bring it to medium heat gradually to render the maximum amount of fat without scorching the protein solids.
- Adjust oil levels so the total fat in the pan measures exactly two tablespoons before adding the gnocchi, ensuring every piece makes direct contact with the conductive surface.
- Arrange shelf-stable gluten-free gnocchi into a single layer and let them sit undisturbed for two to three minutes to develop a proper crust before turning.
- Scale quantities proportionally by maintaining a ratio of one large clove of garlic and one tablespoon of walnuts per packed cup of fresh basil when building the pesto.
- Store leftover portions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though reheating should be done gently in a skillet to revive the exterior crunch.
Precision in fat measurement dictates whether the potato dumplings crisp properly or simply absorb grease and turn soggy. Controlling the heat transitions between rendering bacon, searing poultry, and browning the gnocchi yields distinct textural layers throughout the finished dish.
