Cheesy Gnocchi with Slow Braised Leeks & Smokey Ham
Cheesy Gnocchi with Slow Braised Leeks & Smokey Ham: a weekend delight! Ok, I have to admit—I was a bit hungover when I made this, so maybe I’m biased, but man oh man, this was one of the best gnocchi dishes I’ve ever put together. We both passed out in a food coma on the couch within 15 minutes, so I’m not sure how well I’m selling this, but if you’re after the ultimate weekend comfort food, best enjoyed in PJ’s on the couch, this is it.
Still not convinced? Let me put it this way: soft, pillowy potato gnocchi coated in a rich, creamy sauce made from sloooowly braised buttery leeks and a dreamy blend of three cheeses. Add in smoky, salty ham for that extra depth of flavour, and top it all off with freshly grated nutmeg for a warm, aromatic finish. Yeah… that works for me.
The key to this dish is low and slow cooking—you want those leeks meltingly soft and infused with buttery goodness before adding the cheese and gnocchi. A heavy-based pot with a lid is essential here to get everything beautifully tender without rushing the process.
Serve it up with a simple green salad (if you feel like pretending to be healthy), or just go all in and dive straight into cheesy, gnocchi-filled heaven. Either way, this is the kind of comfort food dreams are made of.
More time on your hands? Try these homemade gnocchi version, for example my Ricotta Gnocchi and Cherry Tomato Sauce or Pumpkin & Ricotta Gnocchi.
Cheesy Gnocchi with Slow Braised Leeks & Smokey Ham
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 50 g butter
- 2 medium leeks, washed and thinly sliced
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 - 2 bay leaves
- 3 - 4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp flour
- 250 g ricotta
- 50 - 75 g finely grated parmesan
- 50 g gouda or cheddar cheese (optional)
- 500 g fresh gnocchi
- 150 g smoked ham cubes (or leave out for vegetarian)
- Pepper & Salt
- Nutmeg
Instructions
Start by melting the butter in a heavy based pot. When foaming add the leeks, garlic and bayleaves and turn the heat down to low. When just starting to sizzle add the water and put the lid on the pan. Now sloooowly sweat down the leeks without letting the brown, stirring now and then. This will take about 35 minutes.
The last 5 minutes bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then add the gnocchi. As soon as the gnocchi floats to the top (about 2-3 minutes) remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate to let cool. Keep the starchy water!
Once the liquid of the leeks has emulsified and evaporated, sprinkle a tablespoon of flour into the leeks and stir well to coat. Bring the heat up to medium and cook for 2 minutes, don’t let it burn.
Scoop a ladle of hot gnocchi water into the pan and stir well with a whisk, add another ladle if needed, you should get a lump free thick sauce.
Once it’s bubbling add all the cheeses and stir well to melt through. Add the ham and the gnocchi into the sauce. Stir well. If it’s to thick add some more starchy water to get your desired consistency.
Taste and season with pepper, salt and nutmeg. Enjoy!
