Bacon Spinach Tomato (BST) Gnocchi in a Lemon-Ricotta Sauce
1 package Italian gnocchi
6 strips bacon
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup ricotta
1 lemon
4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup tomatoes (preferably garden fresh), sliced in half
A sprinkling of cheese (I used Asiago) for garnish1) Heat a Dutch oven to medium-high. Add bacon to pan.

2) While bacon is sizzling, fill a pot with water, add a dash of salt and bring to a boil.

3) When bacon is crisp, remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain. Drain half of bacon fat and turn down the heat. Add finely chopped garlic to the remaining bacon fat in your Dutch oven. Honestly, WHAT is better than garlic cooking in bacon fat?! 4) Add ricotta to the Dutch oven. Be careful, it’ll spit and sizzle and hiss and make all sorts of delightful noises. Give it a stir and squeeze a whole lemon into the pot. You should have a nice, creamy consistency.

5) Your pot should be boiling by now. Add gnocchi, which will sink to the bottom. Check your package, but mine suggested a 2-3 minute cook time. You’ll know they’re done when they float to the top. 5) Toss spinach and tomatoes into the Dutch oven and gently stir with the sauce.

6) When gnocchi is floating, drain well and add gnocchi to your Dutch oven. Get the dish a nice stir and let everything get acquainted.

7) Dish up, garnishing with bacon and Asiago or whatever good cheese you have on hand. Honestly, you could just as easily stir the bacon right in but I like my bacon as crisp as possible, so I sprinkled it on top. Most importantly, tweet me as soon as you make this dish so we can celebrate its deliciousness!