Crispy Chicken, Bacon and Pesto Gnocchi Skillet + Small Batch Pesto Recipe

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Pasta

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 chicken breasts, chopped into hunks
  • seasoned salt and pepper
  • 1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 12oz uncooked gluten-free gnocchi (I used Delallo)
  • 1/4 cup prepared pesto (store-bought or homemade recipe below)
  • For the Small Batch Pesto (make 1/3 cup):
  • 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 1 Tablespoon walnuts
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • big pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • squeeze fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

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