Creamy gnocchi with asparagus and crispy pancetta: an elegant first course that combines the sweetness of asparagus cream with the savory, crunchy touch of golden pancetta.
Discover it for an elegant lunch.
“An explosion of flavors in just 20 minutes
Creamy gnocchi with asparagus and crispy pancetta: the perfect proof that elegance at the table doesn’t require hours of preparation.
In just 20 minutes, you can bring to the table a first course that plays with contrasts: the softness of gnocchi wrapped in a velvety asparagus cream meets the pronounced savoriness of well-browned pancetta.
This dish is ideal for those looking for a refined recipe, able to amaze guests or to treat yourself to a gourmet lunch even when time is short.
Few quality ingredients and a careful plating will turn your kitchen into a small fine-dining restaurant.
I will show you the ready-to-serve version and the gratinated version.
You will also find alternatives for those who cannot use potatoes for the gnocchi.
Thought for you:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring, Easter
- Energy 226.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 24.14 (g) of which sugars 2.37 (g)
- Proteins 4.77 (g)
- Fat 12.93 (g) of which saturated 5.47 (g)of which unsaturated 2.35 (g)
- Fibers 2.63 (g)
- Sodium 458.24 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Let’s do the shopping
- 18 oz potato gnocchi (or oat gnocchi or low-GI flour gnocchi)
- 11 oz asparagus
- 1 clove garlic (whole)
- 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp bouillon cube
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Creamy gnocchi with asparagus and crispy pancetta
Tools
We will need
- 1 Knife
- 2 Cookware Set
- 1 Pan
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Sieve
Steps
Let’s go to the kitchen
For this recipe you can use store-bought gnocchi or homemade ones; here I attach my recipes for making: potato gnocchi – click here
The first thing to do is to put the pot on the heat with the water for the gnocchi.
In another small pot put a little water where we will cook the asparagus.Wash the asparagus, remove the tough woody part and put it to boil with a pinch of salt in the smaller pot.
Cut the rest of the asparagus into pieces, leaving the tips whole.
In a pan put the extra virgin olive oil, one whole clove of garlic (which we will remove later), and the pancetta; brown the pancetta.
When the pancetta is browned enough, remove half and set it aside while leaving the rest in the pan,
then add the chopped asparagus pieces.
Cook for about 5 minutes, adding a little of the cooking water from the tougher asparagus parts. At this point, the tougher asparagus parts are cooked.
Drain them and keep the cooking liquid, which could be useful to finish (mantecatura) the gnocchi,
and blend the green part with an immersion blender.
Pass the obtained purée through a sieve to remove any strings, thus creating an asparagus cream that…
we will add to the pan.
Meanwhile the water boils: add the gnocchi and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. Adjust salt and as soon as the gnocchi float, scoop them up with a slotted spoon and…
transfer them to the pan. Add a generous spoonful of Philadelphia cream cheese, a grind of pepper and keep over high heat until the Philadelphia is completely incorporated into the asparagus cream. If you need more cooking liquid, use the water where we boiled the tougher asparagus parts.
Serve very hot and, to taste, you can add a grind of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.
Accompany this dish with a good white wine. If you want an even more indulgent dish, turn this recipe into a baked gratin version:
Once the gnocchi are cooked and sauced, place them in a baking dish or cocotte and cover with smoked provola cheese.
Then put under the grill for 5 minutes at 392°F
Storage
You can store the sauce for the creamy gnocchi with asparagus and crispy pancetta in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Creamy gnocchi with asparagus and crispy pancetta
Can I substitute the pancetta?
Yes: you can use guanciale (pork jowl) or prosciutto.
Creamy gnocchi with asparagus and crispy pancetta
