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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    Mar 27, 2018 · Modified: Feb 27, 2019 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Creamy gnocchi primavera

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    Total time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    5 from 9 votes
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Colourful gnocchi primavera in a bowl with broccoli, asparagus and tomatoes

    Spring has sprung! Kind of! We have actually seen the sun a few times. And what better to celebrate the start of spring than this creamy gnocchi primavera (primavera literally means 'spring' in Italian). It's packed with heaps of colourful veggies - leek, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, sweetcorn... and a creamy, cheesy sauce. So yum.

    Landscape photo of colourful gnocchi primavera with broccoli, asparagus and tomatoes, on a green linen

    You'll usually find this dish made with pasta, but I thought I'd use gnocchi for a nice change (and because I had some in the cupboard...). If you're not familiar with gnocchi, they're basically potato dumplings. Just like pasta, they don't have a huge amount of flavour on their own, so you can add whatever sauce you like. I've made homemade gnocchi a few times in the past, but to be honest I find the shop-bought version just as good, and it's a million times less labour-intensive.

    I always pan fry my gnocchi rather than boiling it - you end up with light dumplings that are fluffy in the middle and crispy on the outside, as opposed to boiled gnocchi, which I always find a bit heavy and stodgy.

    Colourful gnocchi primavera in a frying pan, shot from above, with broccoli, asparagus and tomatoes

    The crispy gnocchi are mixed with all those lovely veggies, and a simple cheesy sauce made from ricotta, creme fraiche, and grated cheese. If you don't have the exact vegetables I used, don't worry - you can use whatever fresh veg you like. I like to make sure my primavera is nice and colourful, but I've also seen versions that are entirely green - up to you!

    Birds' eye view on colourful gnocchi primavera, with asparagus, broccoli and tomatoes, served in a bowl on a green linen

    Creamy gnocchi primavera

    Crispy gnocchi with heaps of colourful veggies and a creamy, cheesy sauce. Irresistible!

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • ½ tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon oil, divided
    • 500 g (~ 2 ⅔ cups) potato gnocchi
    • 70 g broccoli, cut into small florets (~ 1 cup when chopped)
    • 1 small leek, halved lengthwise then sliced
    • 125 ml (~ ½ cup) vegetable stock
    • ~ 8 spears asparagus, cut into 1 inch chunks
    • ~ 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 100 g (~ ½ cup) tinned sweetcorn
    • 1 tablespoon (heaped) creme fraiche
    • 1 tablespoon (heaped) ricotta cheese
    • 50 g (~ ½ cup) finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
    • Black pepper
    • Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

    Instructions

    • Melt the butter with ½ tablespoon oil in a frying pan, and add the gnocchi. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until crispy and golden brown (around 10 minutes). Remove the gnocchi from the pan, and set aside.
    • Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in the pan, and add the broccoli and leek. Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat until the leek is soft. Add the vegetable stock, and simmer for until most of the excess liquid has evaporated. Add the asparagus, halved tomatoes and garlic, and cook for a few more minutes.
    • When the vegetables are fairly soft, return the cooked gnocchi to the pan. Add the sweetcorn, creme fraiche, ricotta and grated cheese, and mix well until the cheese has melted to give a smooth sauce.
    • Season generously with black pepper, and serve with fresh parsley.

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for ⅓ of the recipe.

    You'll have some creme fraiche left over from this recipe - it's great in all kinds of pasta sauces! Try my smoky lentil carbonara to use it up:

    Smoky lentil carbonara

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    Comments

    1. Sahara says

      November 07, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      Just made this recipe and it came out absolutely lovely!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        November 15, 2022 at 12:27 pm

        Thanks Sahara, glad you enjoyed it! :)

        Reply
    2. Joanne McCarthy says

      October 23, 2022 at 5:53 am

      Best gnocchi pasta dish l have ever made5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        November 02, 2022 at 10:37 am

        Thank you so much Joanne, glad you enjoyed it! :)

        Reply
    3. Jody says

      August 22, 2022 at 7:30 pm

      Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
      Even my youngest, who doesn't like gnocchi, liked it so much he said he would have it again!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jody says

        August 22, 2022 at 7:32 pm

        And I subbed the cheese as I only had cream cheese. I used more stock to make more sauce.

        Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        August 24, 2022 at 8:54 am

        Aww that's lovely, thanks Jody!

        Reply
    4. Patricia J Cheyne says

      August 06, 2020 at 12:55 am

      Absolutely delicious! I made a few modifications based on what I had in the fridge and it was amazing! HIGHLY recommend frying the gnocchi first as it made them perfectly textured! I added 1 cup shitake mushrooms instead of the corn and added 1 cup of steamed spring peas. I didn't have creme fresh so I tried sour cream instead and it was great! Next time I would add a bit more ricotta & sour cream to make a bit more sauce. Overall, great recipe!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        August 13, 2020 at 9:50 am

        Thanks Patricia, glad you enjoyed it! :D Frying the gnocchi makes such a difference doesn't it!

        Reply
    5. Amanda says

      March 30, 2018 at 11:01 pm

      Loved this! Just tried it tonight and both of us really enjoyed it. Made a few substitutions based on what we had available (swapped out some veggies for a picky eater) and used extra ricotta instead of buying creme fraiche. Super easy to make too. Thanks for posting!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        April 05, 2018 at 2:13 pm

        Thanks Amanda, so glad you enjoyed it! :D

        Reply
    6. Mimi says

      March 28, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      What a great idea! I mean, you make primavera with pasta, why not gnocchi! Love that you use parsley. To me, it's underappreciated, and not just a garnish.

      Reply
    7. Silvia says

      March 27, 2018 at 2:55 pm

      Ohh YUM!! This gnocchi primavera screams Spring. I love it. I love so much spring dishes, that are so colorful you are happy to eat them.5 stars

      Reply
    8. Natalie says

      March 27, 2018 at 2:52 pm

      This gnocchi looks absolutely delicious and perfect for a Spring dinner or lunch. I can't wait to try this recipe.5 stars

      Reply
    9. Dahn says

      March 27, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      This looks delicious, I love gnocchi and usually have it pretty plain. I love all the goodies that are packed in this dish.

      Reply
    10. Julia says

      March 27, 2018 at 2:21 pm

      It's been years since I had gnocchi. I must try our spring version with all these veggies!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        April 05, 2018 at 2:12 pm

        I think gnocchi is so underrated!

        Reply

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