When I think springtime, two things immediately come to mind… lemon and asparagus. Their vibrant colors and light and fresh flavors shine this time of year. After 6 years in Nicaragua with no lemons (yes, that is correct, NO LEMONS), I am thrilled to have access to them again. They show up at least once a week in a pasta dish, seafood, some sort of baked good or drink. Limes still reign supreme throughout Central America, but my goodness are they missing out. You may see my current lemon obsession reflected here over the next couple of months, fair warning. But hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade or, make crispy gnocchi with asparagus and lemon ricotta.
Lemon Ricotta
Ricotta is not just for lasagna anymore. About a year ago, this soft, creamy, mildly salty cheese attempted to dethrone avocado as THE toast topping. And although nothing will ever overtake avocado, in my opinion, if you aren’t eating ricotta except for in lasagna, then what are you doing?! For this recipe, you will need whole milk ricotta (please, no low fat), lemon zest and fresh juice, dried thyme and a little honey. This part is best done in a food processor, but if you don’t have one or prefer a more manual approach, a small bowl will work too. Add all the ingredients into your food processor and pulse until a creamy, whipped texture. That’s it. Now try not to eat it all before your gnocchi are ready. This who process takes less than 5 minutes and lends tons of fresh lemony flavor to this dish.
Asparagus Prep
On Sunday mornings, there is a small farmers market about a half mile from my house. You can buy homemade breads, local produce, and some artisan items like homemade soaps. It’s one of my favorite Sunday morning activities and I often take a walk to pick up some things before we head to church. There is one vendor who has the best variety of mushrooms and he always has tender, thin-stemmed asparagus. This is one vegetable that bigger is not better. As asparagus grows, it tends to get woody and tough and can feel kind of like eating cooked tree bark. When you are shopping for asparagus, be sure to look for thin stems. Even with the thinner stems, it is still important to prep your asparagus. To prep, simply grab the head and tail of one stem, and gently bend it. It will naturally snap where the vegetable transitions from tough to tender. Usually about 2 inches from the bottom. Use that one stalk as your guide, line it up with the rest of the bunch and trim the bottoms of all your stalks at once.
Gnocchi
If you aren’t familiar with these little Italian pasta dumplings, then let me introduce you. Often made from potatoes, flour and egg, these are tender little pasta pillows just waiting to soak up your sauce of choice. You can find them in the pasta section of most grocery stores or your can try making them yourself. This recipe from Inside the Rustic Kitchen takes you through all the steps for a homemade version. Whatever you choose, we are going to start by boiling our little dumplings. These do not come as dried as pasta, so they require very little cooking time. Fill up a 4 quart pot about 2/3 of the way with water and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, add about 3-4 tablespoons of salt to your boiling water. When pasta water says salted, this is what it means. Salty like the ocean, not just a pinch. Add your gnocchi to your boiling water and cook 3-4 minutes, depending on your package instructions. Once cooked, drain your gnocchi, but allow them to remain in the hot pot for a couple of minutes so that the water can evaporate fully.
Bringing it all together
This cooking process takes about 5 minutes, start to finish, which makes this a great meal for lunch or dinner when you are short on time. In fact, the whole meal takes 20 minutes or less to come together. That’s a win in my book! Using a large skillet (mine is 14 inches, but anything in the 12-14 inch range will be fine), melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Once melted, add your asparagus to the butter and saute for 1-2 minutes, just until the stalks begin changing color to a vibrant green. Increase the temperature to medium high head and add your cooked gnocchi to the pan with the butter and asparagus, tossing to coat. Arrange your little dumplings in a single layer and allow them to cook 1.5-2 minutes, until lightly brown and crisp. Give them a stir, arrange in a single layer again and allow them to cook for 1-1.5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, plate, and serve immediately with a dollop of your lemon ricotta.
If you also love spring, lemons, asparagus and ricotta and want to add this crispy gnocchi with asparagus and lemon ricotta to your menu this week, here is what you need to know…
Crispy Gnocchi with Asparagus and Lemon Ricotta
Equipment
- 12-14 inch skillet
- 4 quart stock pot
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 ounces asparagus
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook gnocchi according to package directions and drain. Leave the gnocchi in the warm pot to fully dry.
- While the gnocchi are cooking, in the bowl of a food processor, add the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and dried thyme. Pulse in 10 second intervals until reaching a smooth, whipped texture. This should not take more than a few attempts.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add the asparagus pieces to the butter and cook for 1-2 minutes until their color begins to change to a vibrant green.
- Increase the temperature to medium high heat and add the gnocchi. Toss with the butter and asparagus and arrange in a single layer in your skillet. Allow to cook 1.5-2 minutes without stirring, until lightly brown and crisp.
- Stir the gnocchi and arrange in a single layer once more. Allow to cook without stirring for 1-2 minutes longer until lightly brown and crisp. Remove from heat and plate immediately. Top with a dollop of the lemon ricotta.
Notes
- Looking to add a protein source to this meal? Try 1/3 pound of shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper or 1/2 pound of italian sausage. Cook your protein in the large skillet before adding the asparagus and continue the remaining steps as written.
- Need a gluten-free swap? Try cauliflour gnocchi available now in many stores. Just be sure to verify that the gnocchi is in fact gluten-free.