Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & White Beans

One of the first recipes I "pinned" on Pinterest was Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans from Eating Well.  Since I have been avoiding high-carb foods, the recipe was put in my "someday" pile and forgotten.  Yesterday, however, was cold and rainy, and I found myself craving something hot, gooey, and full of carbs; aka my comfort food.  Instead of declaring it a "cheat day", and ordering out for pizza, I decided to try the Eating Well recipe instead.  Although higher in carbs, it is still packed with vitamins and low calorie. Plus, it's a great way to sneak some swiss chard into your kid's diet! I already had most of the ingredients on hand, and the recipe was a breeze to make.  More importantly, it tasted excellent.  It was hot, cheesy, and carby; everything I had wanted in a meal last night.

As usual, I changed the recipe a little to suit my own tastes.  I upped the garlic, used chicken broth instead of water, omitted the onion and replaced it with onion powder (to simplify the dish), added a pinch of red pepper, decreased the olive oil a little, and changed the cooking time so that the sauce would thicken.  Also, the original recipe had it at 6 servings...let me tell you, that would be 6 very tiny servings.  That serving portion might work if you paired it with a salad, but then that would take away the beauty of this one dish meal, right?  So I called it 4 servings, and it was still only about 400 calories a serving. Score!

Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & White Beans

Makes 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

16 oz Shelf-Stable Package of Gnocchi

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1/2 Cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth or Water

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

6 Cups of Chopped Swiss Chard Leaves 

15 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes with Italian Seasonings

15 oz Can of White Beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper

1/2 Cup Shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella

1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add in olive oil. Toss in gnocchi, and saute until slightly browned and fully cooked, about 7 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Turn the stove up to medium-high, and add the garlic to the pan.  Saute for 30 seconds, and then add the broth (or water). Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Stir. Add in the chard leaves, and cook until slightly wilted, stirring occasionally.  

3. Add in the tomatoes, white beans, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes, so that some of the liquid can cook off, and the sauce begins to thicken.  

4.  Turn the heat down to medium, and add the gnocchi back into the pan, and stir until well combined.     Sprinkle the top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and cover.  Let sit (on the heat) for 3 minutes.  Remove cover and serve.

Mmmmmm....gooey!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

1/4th of the Prepared Pasta

Calories: 407

Carbs: 69

Fat: 8

Protein: 18