Chicken & Gnocchi Veronese

So Olive Garden is one of my favorite places to eat… and my favorite thing to get there, go figure, they quit making!  As Stephanie Tanner would say (Full House) “How Rude!”

So I really wanted Chicken & Gnocchi Veronese the other day so I googled it and sure enough it’s out there!  So hubs and I made it.  The shocking thing to me… Tbug ate it, liked it, and never threw a fit! Yey!  She’s surprisingly a good eater at my house.  I tell her she has to try something 12 times before she can say she “doesn’t like it.”  I read that somewhere, what can I say….

Chicken & Gnocchi Veronese

Servings: 4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced (julienned)
1/2 zucchini, sliced (julienned)
Salt to taste
4 chicken breasts, sliced in 1/2-inch strips
2 small branches rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Veronese Sauce:
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
14 fluid ounces heavy cream

Gnocchi:
2 quarts water
6 ounces all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 pounds russet potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
OR
1 pound gnocchi (potato dumplings, cooked
according to package directions

Now I didn’t make my own gnocchi, but here’s the recipe if you’d like to try 🙂
Gnocchi: Wash potatoes and place in water. Cook potatoes until soft (cook time will depend on size of potatoes). Remove potatoes from water and cool in refrigerator.

Peel cooled potatoes and push them through a fine grater (rice grater) until mashed; do not over-mash potatoes or they will get tough.

Combine potatoes, flour and eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix well until dough does not stick to hands (add small amounts of flour at a time if needed).

Divide dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section into a long rope. Cut each rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Push fork tines on each piece for the classic gnocchi appearance.

Bring water to a boil in a sauce pot. Drop in gnocchi and cook until they float.

Chicken and Sauce: Combine garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Combine Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and heavy cream in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat sauté pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil, onions, bell peppers and zucchini. Sauté until onions are translucent (do not brown).

Add marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are brown on all sides and internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.

Drain cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to coat gnocchi with sauce.