Gnocchi and Asparagus in Cream Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Gnocchi and Asparagus in Cream Sauce

This Gnocchi with Asparagus and Cream Sauce is great for easy daily meals as well as special dinners. Pillowy gnocchi and sweet, crisp-tender asparagus are coated with a rich yet not too heavy cream sauce.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: asparagus and gnocchi

Servings: people

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Sophie

Ingredients

4-5 green asparagus spears
10 oz uncooked potato gnocchi
olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
salt (to taste)
1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated (plus more for serving)
black pepper, freshly cracked

US Customary - Grams

Instructions

Trim off the woody end of your asparagus or use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin from the bottom part of the asparagus spears (as in the video). Then slice asparagus into small pieces, about 1/2-inch. If the spears are large, slice them in half lengthwise first before cutting into small pieces crosswise.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and reduce the heat to a more gentle boil. Cook until gnocchi float to the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and reserve the cooking liquid.
Place a pan over medium heat and add some olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant. Add asparagus pieces and stir to cook for about 15 seconds. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt and give it a quick stir.
Add drained gnocchi to the pan and give everything a quick toss. Add cream and 3-4 tablespoons of reserved gnocchi cooking liquid. Adjust the heat as needed to let everything simmer while stirring gently and frequently. Stir in 1-1½ tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Cook until the cheese melts, the sauce thickens and asparagus is crisp-tender. Try to avoid overcooking the asparagus.
Transfer to serving plates. Sprinkle plenty of black pepper and some more parmesan cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Notes

The recipe is enough for 2 people as a main dish or 3-4 people as an appetizer or a first course. If you want to make the dish vegetarian-friendly, make sure to use vegetarian parmesan cheese.

I use homemade gnocchi, but if you can find quality store-bought gnocchi, that will work too.

For homemade gnocchi: I like to follow Chef Thomas Keller's recipe, which calls for baked russet potatoes (just pierce the potatoes with a fork and then bake at 350°F/175°C for an hour or until tender). His recipe has the highest ratio of potatoes to flour among all gnocchi recipes I have come across. When I make it, I use about 20 oz of baked potato flesh, 2.5 oz flour, 2 egg yolks and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mash the baked potato flesh, then add flour, salt and egg yolks. Use a dough cutter to combine everything and avoid kneading the dough too much. Divide the dough into portions, then roll into small ropes and cut into small pieces.

Nutrition