February is my least favorite month, so I am on a mission to pack it full of comfort food. It’s just the only way to make it bearable. Especially since we haven’t had a lot of snow this winter. So skiing, snowshoeing, and even snow angels have been off of the menu. Finding joy in winter has always been hard for me. But I have found that a pot or pan of something delicious simmering away on a cold day has never failed to make me smile. So today I bring you my most recent simmering something – this Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi. This dish features chubby gnocchi luxuriating in a silky gorgonzola cream sauce accented with tarragon and kissed with honey. This dish is one for the ages and it only takes 30 minutes to make, so let’s dive right in.
I’m sure it goes without saying but If you aren’t a fan of blue cheese, this recipe is not for you. But if you are on the fence about blue cheese or are just blue-curious, this dish might just work for you. And that is because Gorgonzola is a gateway blue. What do I mean by that? Well, a gateway blue is a blue cheese that is mild and creamy enough that it can take a novice into blue cheese territory without scaring them off. We’re not dealing with the more abrasive blues like Roquefort. Instead, gorgonzola is nutty, creamy, and quite mild for a blue.
Another trick for developing your fondness for blue is adding a kiss of honey. It’s a sugar-helps-the-medicine-go-down sort of scenario. Blue cheese and honey is one of those flavor combos I cannot get enough of. The sharp tang and rich umami of blue with the intense floral sweetness of honey just makes my toes curl. The first bite of blue I didn’t just tolerate but enjoyed was doused in honey. I have no scientific evidence or even a foodie folktale that sounds true to explain this phenomenon. That’s just how it played out for me, and it might work for you.
But enough about my budding career as a blue cheese missionary. Let’s talk about this ooey-gooey Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi. This will not take long because, well, this recipe doesn’t take long. It all starts with some shallots. Nothing fancy here, we’re just going to chop them into half-moons. Next, we’re going to strip some tarragon leaves off of their stems and chop them nice and fine. This is easily the most annoying part of this recipe. I really hate plucking herbs off of their stems. But tarragon does get bonus points for not being thyme. Now, that’s a fiddly herb.
Heat a little oil in a large skillet and add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and let the shallots sweat it out. Once the shallots are soft, transfer them to a bowl and add butter to your pan. Whisk in some flour to form a roux. Slowly integrate two and a half cups of milk to form a smooth but relatively thin sauce. We want the sauce to be runny because the cheese and the starch from the gnocchi will thicken the sauce later. So don’t be worried if the sauce doesn’t look ideal to you at this point.
Add a little salt, and a heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the sauce. Whisk to combine. Now, for the main event – the gorgonzola. Crumble the cheese into the sauce and stir over low heat until it melts. Once the cheese has melted it’s time to add the other main character – the gnocchi. Cards on the table I did not make my gnocchi. This is a bag of the pasta isle’s finest. You can of course make your own gnocchi. I have done it in the past, and it is not insurmountable. It’s quite simple actually. But in my books, making gnocchi is a Sunday afternoon activity. And the first time I made this dish it was a Tuesday at 7 pm and I was post-workout and careening towards a meltdown. Sometimes store-bought gnocchi is the only way forward.
Regardless of whether you make your gnocchi or buy it, you’re going to plunk it directly into the sauce. Yes, we are not boiling our gnocchi, we’re going to simmer it in the sauce until it’s pillowy soft. As I said this will thicken the sauce into the velvety consistency you see before you. When the gnocchi is ready, add the tarragon you chopped earlier and stir to combine.
Plate up your masterpiece and garnish with additional chunks of gorgonzola and a generous drizzle of honey. And that’s everything you need to know about this Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi. Luxurious, decadent, and rich, this dish may be simple to make but it is something special.
Enjoy!
Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Tarragon
Equipment
- 1 Large Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 shallots sliced into half-moons
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups milk I used 2%
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard heaping
- 1 tsp salt
- 125g (4oz) Gorgonzola plus more for serving
- 700g (1 1/2 lbs) potato gnocchi
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon finely chopped
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet until shimmering. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and sauté until the shallots are softened. Transfer the shallots to a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the skillet and add the flour. Whisk to combine to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk until fully integrated into a smooth sauce. ** Simmer for a minute or two.
- Stir in the shallots, mustard, and salt. Tear the Gorgonzola into chunks and add them to the sauce. Stir until the cheese melts completely.
- Pour the gnocchi into the sauce and toss to coat. Bring back up to a simmer and let cook for 5-7 minutes or until the gnocchi is nice and fluffy. Take the skillet off of the heat and stir in the tarragon.
- Spoon the gnocchi onto plates. Top with additional chunks of gorgonzola and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.
