Homemade vegan gnocchi stirred through a creamy, bright sauce of blended asparagus stems and peas - a taste of spring with fresh lemon and mint, served with asparagus tips and peas. A perfect dish to celebrate asparagus season!
Even after 4 years, my sweet potato gnocchi is still the most popular recipe on my blog, so I thought it was about time I treated you to a regular gnocchi recipe too! It's surprisingly easy to make and you don't have to roll it if that's not your thing (but it's actually quite easy!). See below for step by step images to make your own vegan gnocchi from scratch!
Potatoes get a little bit of a bad rep, but they're actually a fantastic source of vitamin C and also contain many other nutrients like potassium, manganese, magnesium and even iron. Vitamin C supports iron absorption, which is needed for red blood cell production and consequently, energy levels. Peas are a great source of protein and fibre, helping to keep you fuller for longer, they also deliver vitamin C, vitamin A and K and some iron too, just to name a few. Asparagus is a fantastic source of vitamin K, which helps your blood to clot normally and also has good amounts of vitamin A, folate and iron.
I've included step by step pictures below of making the gnocchi and have also included a link below to a handy video for rolling your gnocchi - which is optional, but creates lots of ridges for the sauce to cling to, helping it to coat the gnocchi.
The first steps are about making the mash - peeling and chopping the potatoes, boiling and then mashing.
You then make the dough by mixing in flour and salt, before rolling into a long sausage shape.
The gnocchi is then ready to be cut and rolled (optional), before being boiled and then finished off in the delicious asparagus & pea sauce!
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Gnocchi with Asparagus Pea Cream Sauce | Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hour
Potatoes get a little bit of a bad rep, but they're actually a fantastic source of vitamin C and also contain many other nutrients like potassium, manganese, magnesium and even iron. Vitamin C supports iron absorption, which is needed for red blood cell production and consequently, energy levels. Peas are a great source of protein and fibre, helping to keep you fuller for longer, they also deliver vitamin C, vitamin A and K and some iron too, just to name a few. Asparagus is a fantastic source of vitamin K, which helps your blood to clot normally and also has good amounts of vitamin A, folate and iron.
I've included step by step pictures below of making the gnocchi and have also included a link below to a handy video for rolling your gnocchi - which is optional, but creates lots of ridges for the sauce to cling to, helping it to coat the gnocchi.
The first steps are about making the mash - peeling and chopping the potatoes, boiling and then mashing.
You then make the dough by mixing in flour and salt, before rolling into a long sausage shape.
The gnocchi is then ready to be cut and rolled (optional), before being boiled and then finished off in the delicious asparagus & pea sauce!
Click here for printer-friendly version
Gnocchi with Asparagus Pea Cream Sauce | Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hour
You'll need
- 1x saucepans
- 1x sauté pan
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Measuring cups + spoons
- Blender
- Slotted spoon
- Colander
- Fork
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 700g baking potatoes (~2 large)
- 1.5 cups plain flour (+ more for dusting)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Sauce & veg
- 1 large bunch asparagus, divided
- 1 cup peas, divided
- 1 heaped tbsp vegan pesto
- 1 large handful fresh mint
- Juice 1 lemon
- 1 cup veg cooking water
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch chili flakes
- Black pepper
Method
Gnocchi
- To make the gnocchi, bring a pan of well-salted water to the boil. Peel and chop the potatoes into 2-3cm cubes and boil for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the water, transfer to a colander and leave to drain for 5 minutes, then mash until smooth. Keep the water for cooking the veg.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of flour to the potatoes, along with the salt and mix together to form a dough. Add more flour if required until a firm, workable dough forms.
- Then divide into 4 portions and using your hands, roll into a long sausage shape, about 1.5-2cm thick. Cut into 2cm long pieces and if desired, roll using a fork (video on that here) or, simply leave as little rectangles. Place the gnocchi to one side whilst you prep your sauce and veg.
Sauce
- To make the sauce, take the asparagus and slice 1cm of the cut ends off and discard, then chop the asparagus into 3, place the top third (stem + tips) aside for later and use the bottom third of the stems (the woody part) for the sauce. Bring the potato water back up to a boil, then add the woody stems and boil for 5 minutes, then add only 1/2 a cup of peas and cook for another 30-60 seconds until the peas are thawed, remove from the liquid using a slotted spoon and reserve 1.5 cups of the cooking water for later.
- Add the cooked veg to the blender along with the pesto, lemon juice, half the mint and blend until smooth, then add black pepper and taste for seasoning, adjusting as required.
Final assembly
- Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi to the water and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the gnocchi float to the surface and no longer taste floury.
- Meanwhile, heat up the sauté pan on a medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and the asparagus tips, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the peas and the sauce and stir through. Once cooked, add the gnocchi to the sauce using a slotted spoon and stir through the sauce to heat through. Stir through the fresh mint and a pinch of chili flakes, then remove from the heat. Serve up with a little drizzle of olive oil and fresh black pepper and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
