I tried this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens magazine on a lark and was pleasantly surprised at how easy and tasty it was. Definitely a great recipe for when you're short on time. The recipe said it would take 20 minutes to prepare and it really did.
Of course, I had to change a few little things from the original. And, we have declared this a "keeper" recipe so I will definitely be making this again soon.
Gnocchi, Sweet Corn & Arugula in Cream Sauce
(adapted
from the May 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens)
Serves 4
Approximate
cooking time is 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
1 pound shelf-stable potato gnocchi
1/2
cup half-and-half
1/4 cup 2% milk
4 oz of packaged or whipped cream cheese (I used a reduced-fat version)
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3
cups torn fresh arugula
Crushed
red pepper (optional)
Preparation:
1) In Dutch oven cook gnocchi according to package directions,
adding corn the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain gnocchi and corn kernels,
reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Do not rinse.
2) Meanwhile, for cream sauce, in medium saucepan combine
half-and-half, cream cheese, salt, garlic powder, dried herbs, and pepper. Cook
over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently using a whisk. Stir in
reserved pasta water.
3)
Return cooked pasta to Dutch oven. Pour cream sauce over pasta; heat through,
if necessary. Stir in arugula. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle with additional salt,
pepper, dried herbs, and crushed red pepper.
Notes
and Variations: If you don’t love the peppery taste of arugula, you could
easily substitute fresh spinach. I also think that you could add in a cup of
shredded roast chicken for a more robust meal. And, I am sure that shrimp would
be tasty as well. In other words, play around this recipe, it is very forgiving.
