Whenever you are in a market in Rome during Spring, you’ll see a lot of perennial produce for sale, such as artichokes, strawberries, fava beans, peas and leeks.
One of my favourite things to eat during Spring would have to be Gnocchi con Asparagi. I fell in love with this dish ever since we were in a trattoria in Genzano some years back.
It is delicious, quick and easy to make and I’ll show you how in today’s blog post. You will need :
- Butter
- A handful of medium sized asparagus
- A bunch of cherry tomatoes
- Gnocchi
Here in Rome, asparagus costs about 3 – 4 euro a kilo. While it might sound expensive, we don’t normally need that much, just about a handful will suffice.
To make Gnocchi con Asparagi, first heat up a pot of water and add in salt. This will be used for the gnocchi.
Next, give the vegetables a quick rinse and dry. Cut the asparagus into two, throwing away the white part. Then continue to slice the green part into small pieces.
Separate the head aside as it needs less time to be cooked.
Now slice the cherry tomatoes into two and add a bit of salt to them. Leave them aside as the tomatoes will be used towards the end of the cooking process.
In a heated plan, melt a knob of butter and add in the green part of the asparagus when the pan feels substantially hot enough. Once the asparagus looks half cooked, add in the head and then lower the fire.
Once the water is boiling, throw the gnocchi into the pot. You can tell that it’s cooked when it starts to float on top.
Add the cooked gnocchi to the asparagus and mix them together in the pan. You can add a bit of starchy water from the pot. This creates a beautiful emulsion to your gnocchi. Turn off the stove at this point.
And finally add in your tomatoes to cook slightly in the residual heat. Mix well.
The final step is to shave some parmigiano cheese on top of your dish and soon you’ll have a delightful dish ready to be eaten.
Gnocchi con asparagi is creamy, earthy and decadent despite using just a few ingredients. You’ll love the richness of the cheese contrasting with the sharpness of the asparagus. I love eating this, and I hope that you give it a try 🙂