Gnocchi Truffle Alfredo
Gnocchi Truffle Alfredo- Pillowy gnocchi coated in a rich and creamy sauce that’s lightly kissed with white truffle flavor.
May 7, 2021 by Nicole Collins
We’re going on vacation today!
Who’s excited?
I don’t know about you, but I’m itching for a real vacation. Not just a staycation. But a real, pack your bags, put up your out of office, and hop on a plane to travel to a far away land kind of vacation.
But since that’s not the reality right now, we’re taking a vacation through our memories and our food. And today, our spirit is taking us back to Italy!
Along with a bunch of my foodie friends on Instagram, I’m participating in a Trip to Italy Challenge today. We’re all posting recipes today that are inspired by Italian cooking. So, if you’re looking for some foodie inspo or if you just want to travel through pictures, make sure you check out the hashtag in my Insta post today, and follow along on the journey!
When I traveled to Italy back in 2018, there were two foods that I looked for on every menu: gnocchi and anything truffle. We were there during truffle season, so the truffle part was pretty easy to find. In fact, my very first meal in Tuscany was truffle risotto!
So, today’s recipe is both inspired by today’s Instagram challenge and my food experience in Italy.
Today, we’re making Gnocchi Truffle Alfredo!
This meal comes together super quickly thanks to a little help from store bought gnocchi. But, we’re going to make a rich and delicious cream sauce laced with white truffle oil. Then, we’re garnish the whole bowl with lots of cheese, fresh cracked black pepper, and another light drizzle of truffle oil. It’s absolute decadence in a bowl!
Today’s sauce is pretty much my new go to when it comes to any cream based pasta sauce. We’ve talked about it here before, and it’s one of the best things to come out of my quarantine kitchen this year. It’s quick, simple, and ready to go in less than 10 mins! So it starts with a little butter, a little white truffle oil, and some fresh garlic. We’ll saute the garlic until it’s fragrant, and then we add our creamy components.
Once the garlic is fragrant, we’re going to add some milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, some freshly shredded parmesan cheese, and a couple special seasonings. To really amp up the funky mushroomy flavors of truffle, I like to add a little pinch of Trader Joe’s Umami Seasoning to this sauce. We’re also going to use some truffle salt to season up our sauce. Now, if you don’t have or don’t feel like going out to get the umami seasoning, you can double up on the truffle salt for this one.
After the creamy components are melted and the sauce is seasoned, we’ll let it simmer for about 5 minutes. And, that’s it! Sauce is done! From there, we can add some cooked gnocchi straight from the boiling pot to the sauce pan. Now for the gnocchi, I like to use the store bought kind that you can buy right in the pasta section of your grocery store. But, there are also versions you can buy in the freezer section, and of course you can always make your own. Whichever option you choose, just make sure you time the cook of your gnocchi so both the gnocchi and the sauce will be ready at the same time.
Now we could stop right here, and we’d have a delicious bowl of pillowy goodness. The truffle flavor in the sauce is light and subtle. Or, we could load up our gnocchi with garnishes consisting of more parm, more black pepper, and another drizzle of truffle oil. I highly recommend option B, because those extra garnishes take this dish from wow to WOW. It’s important to keep in mind that truffle oil is very strong, so you want to use a light hand when you add that extra finishing drizzle. But, it really does take this dish to the next level of decadence.
When it’s time to eat, we have comfort food in a bowl. The gnocchi is soft and chewy. The sauce is rich and creamy. The truffle is fancy and funky. And the extra cheese that we add on top gets melty and gooey which just completes the whole experience. If I closed my eyes, I might just be able to transport myself back to that open aired dinner in Cinque Terre overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Ok, everyone. I hope you’ve enjoyed our little vacation today! Tell me, where’s the first place you’ll travel when it’s 100% safe again?
I hope you all enjoy, have a great weekend, and let’s eat!
Gnocchi Truffle Alfredo
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
1 lb gnocchi
½ tbsp unsalted butter
½ tbsp white truffle oil, plus more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk (I used 1%)
2 oz cream cheese (I used low fat)
½ cup freshly shredded parmesan, plus more for garnish
1/8 tsp truffle salt
1/8 tsp Trader Joes Umami Seasoning (optional)
pepper, to taste
Directions:
Start the Sauce: Melt butter and truffle oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute about 30 seconds- 1 minute until fragrant.
Add heavy cream, milk, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/8 tsp truffle salt, and umami seasoning, if using. Stir constantly until cheeses are melted and incorporated. Reduce heat to low, and simmer sauce for 5-6 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
Meanwhile, make the Gnocchi: Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain, and add to sauce. Toss to coat, and cook for about 1 minute more. Taste for seasoning, and add another pinch of truffle salt and pepper, if needed.
To serve, garnish with shredded parmesan, fresh cracked black pepper, and a light drizzle of truffle oil. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*I love the umami seasoning from Trader Joes in mushroom/truffle dishes. It adds such a nice depth of flavor. If you don't have this spice, this gnocchi is perfectly delish with out it. Just add an extra 1/8 tsp truffle salt and another pinch of pepper instead.
*To really up the truffle flavor in this dish, add a tiny drizzle of truffle oil to finish the dish. Truffle oil is very strong, so a little goes a long way. If you'd rather not garnish with extra oil, the truffle flavor will still be perfectly light and subtle.
*The sauce will look thin at first, but it thickens up once it mixes with the gnocchi. I use low fat milk and low fat cream cheese, but a fuller fat version would make this even creamier. Use what you prefer. Both work great.
*I use this white truffle oil and this truffle salt.
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