Creamy Gnocchi Primavera

ByBecca Heyes
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Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3 people
4.86 from 14 votes
This creamy gnocchi primavera is a quick and easy weeknight dinner packed with colourful spring vegetables and a rich, cheesy sauce. On the table in no time!
Allergens: 🧀 Dairy 🍞 Gluten
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This Creamy Gnocchi Primavera is a quick and easy dinner that still feels a little bit special. Packed with colourful spring vegetables and tossed in a rich, cheesy sauce, it’s the kind of meal that looks impressive but comes together in no time at all. Perfect for a busy weeknight!

Colourful gnocchi primavera in a bowl with broccoli, asparagus and tomatoes

The word primavera means “spring” in Italian, and this dish is a real celebration of the season, with leeks, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and sweetcorn, all coated in a simple sauce made from ricotta, crème fraîche, and plenty of grated cheese.

You’ll often find pasta primavera on restaurant menus, but using gnocchi instead of pasta gives it a lovely twist. The pillowy little dumplings soak up all that creamy sauce beautifully, making every bite really satisfying!

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

🍳 Pan-Fried Gnocchi

If you’ve never had pan-fried gnocchi before, you’re in for a treat. Rather than boiling them, which can leave them feeling a little heavy and stodgy, frying gnocchi in a hot pan gives you something far more exciting. They’re light and fluffy on the inside, and golden and crispy on the outside. It takes just a few minutes and makes a huge difference to the finished dish!

Shop-bought gnocchi works perfectly here, and honestly, I think it’s just as good as homemade, with about a fraction of the effort. Just grab a pack from the pasta aisle and you’re good to go!

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

🥗 Ingredients

  • Gnocchi – shop-bought gnocchi is absolutely fine! Look for it in the pasta aisle.
  • Spring vegetables – use whatever is in season where you are, or whatever you have in the fridge to use up! I used leek, asparagus, tomato, sweetcorn and broccoli.
  • Ricotta – adds a lovely creaminess to the sauce
  • Crème fraîche (sour cream works as an easy substitute)
  • Grated cheese – parmesan or a strong cheddar both work well.

🔁 Variations

As with most of my recipes, you can use this as more of a template if you’d like to put your own spin on the recipe. For example, you could:

  • Swap the vegetables to use whatever you have on hand. Zucchini (courgette), spinach, peas, or peppers would all work brilliantly – this recipe is a great fridge-clearer!
  • Stick to all-green vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, peas and spinach, for a more traditional primavera.
  • Swap the crème fraîche for a splash of vegetable stock and a squeeze of lemon for a lighter, brighter sauce.
  • Add some heat with a pinch of chilli flakes stirred into the sauce – it adds a nice kick!
Birds' eye view on colourful gnocchi primavera, with asparagus, broccoli and tomatoes, served in a bowl on a green linen

🖨️ Printable Recipe

Creamy Gnocchi Primavera

This creamy gnocchi primavera is a quick and easy weeknight dinner packed with colourful spring vegetables and a rich, cheesy sauce. On the table in no time!

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

4.86 from 14 votes
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Allergens: 🧀 Dairy 🍞 Gluten

(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 483kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp oil, divided
  • 500 g (~ 2 2/3 cups) potato gnocchi
  • 70 g broccoli, cut into small florets (~ 1 cup when chopped)
  • 1 small leek, halved lengthwise then sliced
  • 125 ml (~ 1/2 cup) vegetable stock
  • ~ 8 spears asparagus, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • ~ 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 100 g (~ 1/2 cup) tinned sweetcorn
  • 1 tbsp (heaped) creme fraiche
  • 1 tbsp (heaped) ricotta cheese
  • 50 g (~ 1/2 cup) finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
  • Black pepper
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter with 1/2 tbsp 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 1/2 tbsp 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.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Gnocchi Primavera
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 483 Calories from Fat 121
% Daily Value*
Fat 13.4g21%
Saturated Fat 5.7g29%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 319mg13%
Potassium 291mg8%
Carbohydrates 77.1g26%
Fiber 3.3g13%
Sugar 3.7g4%
Protein 17.1g34%
Calcium 229mg23%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

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Vegetarian Food Blogger

Becca Heyes is a full-time vegetarian recipe developer, cheese eater extraordinaire, and the creator of Easy Cheesy Vegetarian. She has been developing and publishing reliable, family-friendly vegetarian recipes since 2011, with 15 years of professional recipe development experience.

Becca has been a vegetarian for 25+ years. She specialises in hearty, approachable meat-free meals made with everyday supermarket ingredients. Every recipe is created and thoroughly tested in her home kitchen.

4.86 from 14 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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21 Comments

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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. 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