Here it is, the recipe for gnocchi with asparagus cream is ready! A simple recipe, with few ingredients and very quick, that will make you look good with your guests and that everyone will like. All asparagus lovers, of course. 😊
I want to start with some necessary thanks. 😊
Thanks to those who, yesterday on my Facebook page, responded to my “call” and gave me advice for lunch. 😀 Yesterday I was really short of ideas, as well as short of ingredients (I had an empty fridge!). Thank you! You were all very kind and full of original ideas! The few ingredients I had available turned out to be suitable for a suggestion from Marta (blog In cucina con mia sorella, go visit her!), which I transformed into this recipe of mine, but I also noted a couple of really interesting recipes that I will try as soon as possible! Thanks again to all of you.
Speaking of the empty fridge, I must dutifully inform you that the gnocchi and asparagus I used for this recipe I did not have (obviously) in the fridge, nor did I go out to buy them (considering the time), but I retrieved them from the freezer. Yes, great invention the freezer!
It is thanks to the freezer that these gnocchi with asparagus cream turned out, despite the title that makes them seem a “serious” recipe, one of those easy and fast recipes that I love to cook, that entertain me greatly and that, for some reason, usually turn out much better than those I work on for entire days!
Does it happen to you too? I always make a mess right when I want to excel, I manage to bake soggy potatoes and hardened breadsticks right at family lunches (sob), forget the yeast in cookies just when I shouldn’t (ugh), and then… instead… I can pull off beautiful and good recipes that are really well done when I’m in a rush, when it’s late, when half of the ingredients are missing, when my kitchen is overrun, and there isn’t even a clean spoon, and I have to carve out a tiny corner to plate…!! In short, I do well precisely when I least expect it. 😄
These gnocchi with asparagus cream began to take shape around half-past twelve. And within 40 minutes they were already on our plates (and with the photos already taken!). I won’t tell you in what condition the kitchen was… but that’s a detail we don’t care about right now, right? 🤭
Should you want to make this recipe in a “Sunday recipe” version, that is having time and tranquility at your disposal, you can replace the frozen gnocchi with homemade gnocchi with your hands, following my recipe (very tested!), and since they are now in season, use fresh asparagus. You’ll surely make a great impression! 😊
This recipe I also see well in case of unexpected guests, as well as a super-fast emergency dish for every day as it was in my case. Yes, because they were excellent, really tasty, we liked them a lot, and my husband (my impartial culinary critic) is already waiting for seconds! 😀
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs potato gnocchi
- 12 oz frozen asparagus
- 1 red spring onion (including the stem)
- 6 tablespoons fresh liquid cream
- 1 mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Pot
- Pan
- Skimmer
- Chopper
Steps
In case of fresh asparagus, cut the woody part of the stem (save it for other preparations) and peel the stems using a peeler.
In case of frozen asparagus, defrost them by putting them in a pan on low heat with the lid. They take a few minutes to defrost.Cook the whole asparagus in a pan with a finger of water and a drizzle of oil with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.
🧂☝️ Please, do not cook the asparagus by boiling them in abundant water, otherwise, they lose all their flavor, it’s a fundamental rule of cooking without salt: never boil in water.While the asparagus is cooking, put the water on to boil for the gnocchi.
When the stems can be pierced with a fork (if they are still al dente, it’s okay, they will be sautéed later), remove them, place them on a plate, and cut them into pieces.Slice the spring onion (if they are small use two onions), including the stem. Well, not the whole stem, half.
👉 The part of the stem not used can be saved for use in making vegetable granules).In the pan where the asparagus was cooked, briefly wilt the sliced spring onions, add the cut asparagus pieces and sauté for a few minutes. If necessary, add a drizzle of oil.
Transfer the asparagus and spring onions to a medium-sized food processor.
👉 Keep the asparagus tips needed to decorate the dishes (but it is optional).Blend.
👉 Add a bit of cream, or all of it based on the consistency of the mixture. The cream will facilitate the work of the blades, but it can still be softened with oil or water; the important thing is that the obtained cream is soft yet thick.Transfer half of the asparagus cream into the pan. Add a tablespoon or two of cream, if necessary.
Cook the gnocchi.
👉 For reasons of time (considering the premises from which this recipe was born 😉) I used frozen gnocchi, but for those who want to make them with their own hands, I leave you: the potato gnocchi recipe, the flour gnocchi recipe, and the semolina gnocchi recipe.When the gnocchi float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and pour them into the pan. Briefly sauté.
Prepare a bed of asparagus cream on the bottom of each plate, using the half saved in the processor bowl.
Place the gnocchi on the plates, decorate with diced mozzarella and one or two asparagus tips.Enjoy immediately!! 😀
Salt-Free Tips
Asparagus, if cooked properly, is a flavorful vegetable that lends itself well to being consumed without salt. In this case, the red spring onion from Tropea proved ideal because it added a sweet yet flavorful note to the cream, and the whole combination was well balanced, tasty without any addition of flavor enhancers. This time I used absolutely nothing, no spices, no chili, no celery salt, just asparagus, spring onions, and cream. Sometimes it’s a pleasure to find satisfaction in such small things! 😉
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
■ Gradually decrease the salt, the palate must get used to it slowly and must not notice the progressive reduction.
■ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
■ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
■ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
■ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
■ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
■ Prefer fresh foods.
■ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grilling, foil, steaming, microwaving)
■ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
■ Sometimes allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want, or cannot, give up salt:
■ You can still try my recipes seasoning according to your habits.
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On my WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest and in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you want… subscribe to my Newsletter.
