Asparagus and Pea Gnocchi is the ideal seasonal dish that lets you enjoy all the great spring produce. It will be love at first bite!
This vegetarian dish is one of the easiest meals you can prepare! It definitely fits in the hassle free weeknight dinner spectrum. I am indeed a big fan of easy recipes when the days get longer and warmer. When spring starts I go hunting at the store for the fresh produce it brings with it. Asparagus and peas are two of these delicious vegetables that the extra sun brings. Apart from being extremely nutritious and flavourful, their bright green colour lifts my mood up!
The making of this Gnocchi dish
Basically this asparagus and pea gnocchi dish is made of a thick creamy lemon and asparagus sauce which is prepared in minutes. This sauce then covers completely each gnocchi. Additionally, peas are added for that extra crunch and texture. The ingredients here work perfectly together, creating this earthy and fresh flavoured dish. For my gnocchi dish I like to finish it off with a generous amount of Grana Padano while it’s still on the stove. Adding the cheese at the end makes the sauce more creamy and luscious.
Gnocchi or Pasta?
In this dish I’m using store bought gnocchi as I wanted this to be an easy recipe that only takes 20 minutes. However, if you have the time, you can for sure make fresh gnocchi and enjoy them the same way. Furthermore, why limit yourself to gnocchi? This sauce will work perfectly as well with pasta!
Asparagus, Peas, Lemon and …?
Other toppings which will work great in this dish are pork cuts such as, guanciale, bacon or prosciutto. These cured meats in fact are frequently served along with asparagus as they balance out each other perfectly. To add them to this dish, I suggest that you cut them into bite size pieces and cook them beforehand and set aside. Once plating the gnocchi and the sauce, sprinkle them on top generously.
Lemon Asparagus and Pea Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 500 g gnocchi
- 500 g asparagus
- 80 g peas fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 60 g grana padano optional
Instructions
- Clean the asparagus and chop them into small pieces. Leave the top part of the asparagus intact as we will use this for decorating the dish at the end.
- Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a frying pan. Add the shallots and let them cook for a few minutes.
- Add the garlic and all the asparagus to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for a few minutes.
- To the frying pan gently add the warm water and let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes until most of the water evaporates. Cook until the center of the asparagus are tender. The cooking time might vary depending on how small you cut the asparagus.
- Once ready, take away from the mixture the asparagus tops and set aside.
- Add the vegetable mixture and the lemon juice to your blender or food processor. Blend together until you get a nice bright green sauce. Set aside.
- Boil a large pot of water and season with salt. Add the gnocchi and let them cook according to the timing on the package.
- In the meantime, heat up a frying pan and add the lemon asparagus sauce and the peas. Add the cooked gnocchi to the sauce together with a ladle of the pasta water. Cook gently for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken and covers all the gnocchi.
- Finally, at this point you can add the grana padano cheese to the pan. Mix well so that the cheese doesn't curdle.
- Serve the lemon asparagus gnocchi immediately. Decorate each plate with the asparagus tops that we have put aside earlier. Enjoy!
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
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