Gnocchi with Asparagus are so good. They are a soft and delicate spring main course. How delicious are asparagus ?
Yes, you heard right, they are asparagus gnocchi without potatoes and they are so good, delicate, and easy to make.
They are very easy to make, you won’t find potatoes here. I already had some boiled asparagus, so the weight you see among the ingredients refers to the cooked product.
With this recipe, you can use durum wheat flour or alternatively all-purpose flour, and for those with glucose issues, oat flour. The weight of the flour should remain the same, but it logically changes if the asparagus is more watery.
I used oat flour for the whole family and they liked it. Not everyone appreciates oat flour, but I repeat, you can replace it with all-purpose flour.
Why organic oat flour? Naturally, oat flour is gluten-free, making it suitable for those with celiac disease or gluten protein intolerance.
I simply dressed them with melted butter, grated cheese, and the tips of the same asparagus, but if you want, you can add some sage leaves or sautéed cherry tomatoes. The important thing is that the flavor and color of the dressing are not overpowering.
I already had cooked asparagus, but I will still provide the method in the recipe on how to clean and cook asparagus.
You can also use frozen asparagus, obviously after blanching them.
Asparagus are an excellent and tasty ingredient for the spring season; it’s always a shame not to find them on the shelves when their season is over.
I used asparagus bought at zero kilometers because I live in an area where they are cultivated, but if you live surrounded by nature, you can prepare the dish using wild asparagus.
You can find them in uncultivated areas, unclean vineyards, or road edges along with other herbs; they are easily recognizable by their tall tips.
Asparagus is a plant rich in vitamins and very versatile in the kitchen, usable in pasta dishes or risottos, but not only.
As with all things, don’t overdo it, but a small dish is okay.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 515.68 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 70.05 (g) of which sugars 2.79 (g)
- Proteins 17.70 (g)
- Fat 18.97 (g) of which saturated 9.19 (g)of which unsaturated 9.66 (g)
- Fibers 9.48 (g)
- Sodium 386.56 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 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 for Gnocchi with Asparagus
- 10.6 oz asparagus (cooked weight)
- 3 1/2 cups oat flour (or durum wheat flour or all-purpose flour)
- to taste salt
- 3 tbsps butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
- leaves sage
- to taste Parmesan cheese (to taste)
- pinches nutmeg
Tools
- Pot
- Blender
- Gnocchi Board
- Pastry Board
- Food Scale
- Frying Pan
Steps for Gnocchi with Asparagus
Trim the asparagus by removing the harder white parts of the stems.
Peel with a vegetable peeler from top to bottom the final part of the stems to remove the fibrous part. You can also cut the harder stems and work with the more valuable part of the asparagus.
Peel them with the vegetable peeler (the tips should not be touched).
Boil the asparagus in salted boiling water for 10 minutes, drain, and let them cool.
Cut some tips for plating.
(Do not discard the water, we will use it later to cook the gnocchi).
Blend the stems and set the tips aside.
(The tips will be used at the end to dress the gnocchi, set them aside)
Make a puree, taste, and add a little salt if needed.
In a bowl, work the puree with the flour.
Transfer the dough onto a pastry board, add all the flour, and knead until you obtain a firm, elastic, and non-sticky dough.
(If necessary, add a bit more flour, as it depends on the humidity of the asparagus).
From the obtained dough, make ropes about 0.4 inches thick and cut them into pieces about 0.4 inches long.
Pass each piece over the gnocchi board or use the tines of a fork.
In the meantime, bring the water in which the asparagus was cooked back to a boil and cook the gnocchi in it.
Meanwhile, melt some butter in a non-stick pan with sage leaves and a pinch of nutmeg, add the reserved asparagus tips.
As they begin to float, transfer them with a slotted spoon to the bubbling butter. Sauté briefly, plate, and serve with plenty of Parmesan.
Enjoy your meal.
Notes and Curiosities
The asparagus is a true icon of spring in Friuli Venezia Giulia, where it grows and blooms from the end of March to the end of May, with some variations due to climatic conditions. In this region, white, green, and purple asparagus are cultivated, but white dominates the scene.
Advice
Do not discard the asparagus cooking water? Because the gnocchi can be boiled in the asparagus cooking water; just set it aside and slightly salt it before boiling; this way, the gnocchi will be tastier.
If you liked these recipes, click on many stars, thank you so much.
Join my group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/488624465780860
or on my page: https://www.facebook.com/gustoamoreefantasie
Go back to the Home page
