May 24, 2012

Gnocchi, Sweet Corn and Arugula in Cream Sauce

I love this time of the year. The weather is still mild and the humidity hasn't made life miserable like it does later in the summer. Best of all, there is always ton of inexpensive and abundant produce at the store. Fall and winter are always a little depressing in the fruits and vegetables sections of the grocery stores in my area. I'm lucky if I can find much more than spinach and greens fresh in the middle of the winter and the frozen selection is limited at best. Later in the spring and summer though there are always a ton of fresh vegetables and fruits to select from and I cook with them frequently. The last few years the corn available in my area has been hit or miss. Last summer it was pretty horrible and I only bought it a few times. This year has been the exact opposite, the corn was available early, cheap, and deliciously sweet. So I have been looking around for new corn recipes and  found one for Gnocchi, Sweet Corn and Arugula in Cream Sauce in the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.
This recipe has 7 ingredients (8 if you chose to use crushed red pepper). It takes 20 minutes start to finish and makes 4 servings. So I went into this recipe with the intention of buying fresh corn, however, as you can see from the photo I ended up using frozen. Thanks to grocery shopping with a very hyper 3-year-old and a complaining 6-year-old my fresh corn plans were forgotten and I had to rely on the frozen corn in my freezer. I had no problems finding any of the other ingredients. For the dried herbs I used oregano, I love using dried oregano in pasta dishes. Instead of using a dutch oven, I used a stock pot to cook the pasta and then moved the finished pasta and cream sauce to a large saute pan to finish cooking. I have a very large and heavy dutch oven that takes a very long time to boil for pasta, so I prefer to use a pasta or stockpot instead. Additionally, I let my arugula cook until wilted. The recipe just states to stir in the arugula, for me I like my arugula a little more wilted since it has such a strong peppery taste. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.
This is a very easy recipe to make. The prep work is very minimal and I was pleased that the amount of salt indicated was perfect. Oftentimes recipes vastly underestimate the required amount of salt, but this recipe was spot-on. My two boys were unsure of the gnocchi since I have only served it to them a few times, but once they tried it they loved it. My husband and I liked that it was different than previous pasta recipes that we had tried and the cream sauce had a nice flavor. We both felt that the arugula is somewhat unnecessary. The flavor of the cream sauce is dominant so the peppery flavor of the arugula doesn't really show through. It's a great way to add greens into your diet, but didn't do much for the flavor of the dish. Since it isn't essential for flavor you could substitute spinach or leave out the arugula completely if you chose. Overall, a very simple pasta recipe.

For the recipe go to Gnocchi, Sweet Corn and Arugula in Cream Sauce. (registration required)

75 comments:

  1. It looks very delicious! Cream sauce and gnocchi - Yum!

    FYI - the link to recipe is not working

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    1. Thanks :) I agree gnocchi is delicious! Thanks for the heads up on the link, it's fixed now!

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  2. Oh la la. I'm drooling, right about now! definitely a must try ;)

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    1. The best part is that it's really easy to make! Tell me how you like the recipe if you end up trying it :)

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  3. Oh boy! That looks yumm-o!! Happy )(early?) SITS Day!!!!!!! :)

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    1. Thanks, it tasted really delicious and it re-heated well!

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  4. Hello Ann,
    You inspire me. I always make the same few things for dinner...I should break out of the boring familiar stuff and try something new! Nice to meet you from SITS.

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    1. Don't worry I have favorite dishes that I make frequently also :) Trying new recipes is fun too though!

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  5. Happy SITS Day! I just said over there that I thought I would love you and now I KNOW it! I happen to have that magazine in my bathroom. Guess what recipe is now on the "to Try" list?

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    1. Tell me if you like the recipe once you make it! I love knowing what other people thought of a recipe I have tried :)

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  6. Happy SITS day! I love the simplicity of your blog idea! It's perfect! I have thousands of recipes that I never use. Dinner is my enemy. Great job!

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    1. Thanks :) I tried to find a blog idea that a lot of other people weren't doing, plus I got tired of seeing perfect magazine photos that weren't realistic! Come back again and visit soon!

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  7. Happy SITS day! I use my crock pot often, too. I recently discovered that Campbells has a Cream of Onion Soup that makes for a wonderful sauce in casseroles and a delicious gravy base when mixed with meat juices! Love your blog design!

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    1. I love my crockpot :) I have used their cream of onion soup many times, it is great to add for casseroles etc.

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  8. Happy SITS day! Happy new follower C:

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    1. Thanks :) I hope you come back and find some recipes to try!

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  9. Oh I adore gnocchi. It looks so yummy! Happy SITS day!

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    1. I love it also, it's a great pasta! And you can add a lot of great veggies to it also!

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  10. Happy SITS day! I have never tried to make gnocchi and am actually not sure how to do it, or even what brand to buy! Any recommendations/advice?

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    1. It's actually very easy to make from scratch and you don't have to have any fancy equipment. Around here I am lucky if I can get more than one brand. There are a number of frozen and shelf stable varieties, I have tried a number of them when I lived in Seattle and they are pretty much the same. Just experiment and see which ones you like. It's a great base to a number of sauces, I promise you will love it :)

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  11. Congratulations on your SITS day. I hope it's a great day for you.

    Great review on this recipe.

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    1. Thanks :) I try to make my reviews realistic so people know what to expect!

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  12. That looks delicious! Congrats on your SITS Day!

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    1. Thanks :) I love finding new recipes that are quick and taste good!

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  13. This looks really delicious-- I love that you said it's a quick recipe. As a busy single mom, I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen--I'd much rather spend it cuddling with my sweet pea.

    Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I understand completely my oldest is out of school for the summer and I don't seem to have enough time for anything :) And of course I agree that I would rather spend time with my kids, but I do love to cook also!

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  14. Your blog makes me salivate. lol. Great recipes that I can't wait to try. Congrats on the SITS day!
    ,from your newest fans in food over at We Got Kidz :)

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    1. Thanks :) I hope you come back and find some new recipes to try!

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  15. Happy SITS Day to you.

    This looks so good!

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    1. Thanks, gnocchi is great for making a quick meal!

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  16. Hmmm, may I say, Now I'm hungry! Happy SITS Day!

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    1. I seem to be hungry all the time that's why I bake and cook so much :)

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  17. This looks delicious! And I haven't even gotten breakfast yet, so I'm hungrier now.

    I'm your newest follower. Found you at Aloha Friday!

    http://myeverydayshopping.blogspot.com/

    Hope you can stop by! Have a great day

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    1. It really is yummy and can be prepared in very little time, which with two active boys I appreciate! Going to check out your blog now!

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  18. Congrats on being Featured Blogger today! Enjoy your day as Queen :)

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  19. Woohoo! Happy SITS Day!
    I'm really enjoying your blog, and you're inspiring me too. I've hesitated to write recipe/food posts because I don't have the equipment or space for fancy, glamorous photography, but simplicity is working beautifully here.

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    1. You should never feel like your photos aren't good enough, that's the problem with a lot of the magazine and food blog photos they can be very intimidating. Cooking and baking should be enjoyable not stressful! Thanks for the sweet comments :)

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  20. Happy SITS day to you! Your food looks SO GOOD, and I am SO HUNGRY! Have a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks for the sweet comments :) Have a great weekend also! I think we are actually going to pull out the bbq this weekend!

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  21. Happy SITS day. I love gnocchi. I love the sound of it, the feel of the letters in my mouth. And that's before I've even eaten a single bite. Gnocchi gnocchi gnocchi. Yum!!

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    1. I agree, it's a great work to say. And even better to eat :)

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  22. Sounds delish! Thanks for sharing and happy SITS day!

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    1. Thanks, it was easy and delicious! Plus it was full of arugula, which is great for you!

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  23. Happy SITS day. Love gnocci and sweet corn and wouldn't have thought of combining it with arugula - but this makes me want to give it a go. Have a fantastic Holiday weekend after what I'm sure will be a fantastic SITS featured blogger day.

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    1. I love arugula and use it frequently. It has a great taste and is super healthy! Thanks for the sweet comments :) I hope you have a great weekend also, we are making burgers on the bbq, which I love!!

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  24. Happy Sits Day! I am trying this recipe this weekend!

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    1. Tell me if you like it (or don't) I love hearing either way!

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  25. came to you from aloha friday hop- so glad i did-i will be trying this recipe!!
    http://kendrakaypahukoa.blogspot.com/

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    1. Tell me what you think when you try it! I love hearing other people's ideas! Going over to your blog now!

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  26. Confession: I've never had gnocchi. Or arugula. True story.

    Looks good though...

    {{ stopping by from SITS }}

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    1. Don't worry I know a lot of people that haven't :) Arugula can be an acquired taste, it has a pretty strong peppery taste.

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  27. oh yay! I love cooking! following you now!

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    1. I love to cook also, I find it very relaxing :) Going to check out your blog!

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  28. This looks delicious! Although I'm not sure my kids would be too interested in it.

    Congrats on your SITS day!

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    1. With my kids I don't keep a lot of snack foods on hand, except for fruit and veggies. So they know that if they don't eat dinner they won't have a lot of other options :)

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  29. I'm excited to find someone who shares the real deal about recipes you try! Happy SITS day!

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    1. I try to be as honest as I can in my reviews, I have tried a lot of recipes that have not turned out at all :) Others have turned out great!

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  30. Congrats on your day and have a great weekend.

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  31. Wow- that looks absolutely amazing!

    Visiting and now following from Aloha Friday Blog Hop. I'd love if you could check out my blog and Weekend Blog Walk as well. Would love to have you guest host with me sometime.

    Jessica @ At Home Take 2
    http://www.athometake2.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks, it tasted great and was incredibly easy, which is always a combination I love :) Going over to check out your blog now!

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  32. Thanks for joining our Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop. Please check out my Contests I have Louis Vuitton, $200 of any prize you want and more - Amee of MadameDeals

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    1. Thanks for the heads up on the giveaway, I'll go check it out :)

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  33. That looks gorgeous, definitely my kind of meal. Happy SITS day :D

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    1. Thanks, I am a big fan of pasta, it's yummy :)

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  34. Replies
    1. It was, even my two boys liked it, which lately is saying a lot :)

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  35. Happy SITS day!
    Now, I have to check out those ribs in your latest post!

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    1. Thanks, the ribs were really easy, you should definitely try them :)

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  36. {Kathy} This one looks yummy! I have 4 (usually only three) starving boys in my house right now......my daughter, thankfully, helps me cook. These are the kind of recipes that get "Umms" in my house.

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    1. Four boys is a lot to cook for! I have two and I know how hard that can be :) That's sweet that your daughter helps you cook!

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