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.
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.
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!
Creamy gnocchi primavera
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 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.
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:
Sahara says
Just made this recipe and it came out absolutely lovely!!
Becca Heyes says
Thanks Sahara, glad you enjoyed it! :)
Joanne McCarthy says
Best gnocchi pasta dish l have ever made
Becca Heyes says
Thank you so much Joanne, glad you enjoyed it! :)
Jody says
Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
Even my youngest, who doesn't like gnocchi, liked it so much he said he would have it again!
Jody says
And I subbed the cheese as I only had cream cheese. I used more stock to make more sauce.
Becca Heyes says
Aww that's lovely, thanks Jody!
Patricia J Cheyne says
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!!!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thanks Patricia, glad you enjoyed it! :D Frying the gnocchi makes such a difference doesn't it!
Amanda says
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!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks Amanda, so glad you enjoyed it! :D
Mimi says
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.
Silvia says
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.
Natalie says
This gnocchi looks absolutely delicious and perfect for a Spring dinner or lunch. I can't wait to try this recipe.
Dahn says
This looks delicious, I love gnocchi and usually have it pretty plain. I love all the goodies that are packed in this dish.
Julia says
It's been years since I had gnocchi. I must try our spring version with all these veggies!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I think gnocchi is so underrated!