Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Peas

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Let’s talk about peas.   I am not a fan of peas.  I’ve never been a fan of peas.   I do not eat them by themselves.  I just can’t do it.  I remember when I was a kid and I went to my best friends house and her mom served peas with dinner.  I didn’t want to be rude so I acted like I liked them.  I ended up putting half of them in my mashed potatoes and gagging them down but I couldn’t eat the rest of them.

Fast forward to today.  I still don’t like peas.   I will eat them in soups or in dishes where you can’t really taste them.  I do feed them to my son and he seems to enjoy them but I still have a hard time with them.  I’m not sure if it is so much the taste or more the texture of them that bothers me.   In any case, I don’t like them.

So when I found a recipe for Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Peas my first thought was to make the recipe without the peas.  The more I thought about it the more I thought that was a bad idea.  Mac and cheese isn’t the healthiest recipe in the world and the peas would add some nutritional value and they are a vegetable.  Plus I figured J would eat the mac and cheese and sometimes it’s hard to find soft vegetables for him to eat.

I went ahead and made the recipe with the peas.   I’m glad I did because this dish is super rich and cheesy.  The gnocchi is potato based so it is heavy and there is a lot of cheese in this recipe.  The peas add a pop of color and a bit of lightness to the mac and cheese.

This is a great comfort food perfect for a cold winter night.   It is warm, cheesy, and totally delicious.  I used several different types of cheese but you can use your favorites as long as you have the total amount of cheese.  I used cheddar, mozzarella, and gouda.   I thought it was a nice combination of flavors.

My husband, J, and I all had this for dinner and I think we all enjoyed it.  I ended up taking leftovers for lunch the next day and it was just as good reheated.    My husband suggested that next time I add in pancetta or bacon and I think he’s right. It would add some color and a bit of saltiness to the dish which would be really nice.

Continue to Content

Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Peas

Yield: serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Substitute gnocchi for pasta and add in some peas for a delicious macaroni and cheese twist!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
• 2 Tablespoons brown mustard
• 2 c. frozen peas, thawed
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 lb. potato gnocchi, cooked

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet heat two tablespoons of butter over medium high heat until it is melted. Add in the leeks and cook for 7-8 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Remove the leeks and garlic to a plate.
3. Add the remaining butter and melt. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the flour begins to turn pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
4. Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly.
5. Cook for 5-7 minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture has thickened.
6. Add in 1 1/4 cup cheese and mustard. Stir until cheese has melted.
7. Stir in the leeks, garlic, peas, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook for one minute.
8. Stir in the gnocchi.
9. Sprinkle with additional 1/4 cup of cheese and put in the oven. Broil for 2-3 minutes.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine