Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree

At my house, spring weeknight dinners might include asparagus and green pea soup, with sugar snap peas sauteed in olive oil as a garnish for that crunch factor. My kids do not complain about it.

They also don’t complain about this easy weeknight meal: my Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree. 

Benefits of the Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree

• This is an easy weeknight meal that can be prepared within no time, with minimal work since the oven does most of the work. No stovetop is required.
• It’s vegetable forward, with plenty of protein from beans and peas. 
• Also no need to make gnocchi from scratch! All the local grocery stores carry pre-prepped gnocchi, either in the frozen section, or it is vacuum packed in the pasta section.
• The dish is full of spring favorites: asparagus, green peas, sugar snap peas and red spring onions.

Different ways to prepare asparagus

Asparagus is a perennial flowering plant species, where the young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. The season is short, so I eat as much asparagus as I can in the spring. 

I love a simple preparation of asparagus by grilling the stalks, and seasoning them with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon on top and don’t forget that sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan. Just be sure to cut off the tough ends, about 1 inch. 

Sugar snap peas are edible pods with thick walls that are entirely edible raw. They are sweet and crunchy, and we as a family love snap peas as an anytime snack. 

A favorite – red spring onions

Red spring onions get me very excited. Try this: Grill some red spring onions, stalk and all, sprinkle some Maldon sea salt on it, along with coarsely ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Chop it up and use it in tacos (you can thank me later). They add a natural sweet char flavor. I had this combination on a recent trip to Cabo, Mexico, and it was absolutely divine.

Ingredients of the Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree

The ingredients of the Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree are:

Gnocchi Asparagus Bake

• package gnocchi (shelf stable or refrigerated)
• Asparagus
• Sugar snap peas
• Red spring onions
• Garlic cloves
• Unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Garam masala
• Red chili flakes

Green Pea and Cannellini Bean Puree

• Green peas (frozen or fresh)
• Canned cannellini beans
• Herbs like fresh mint and basil
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Garnish

• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Microgreens

How to make the Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree

For my Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree, I use store-bought shelf stable gnocchi, pasta-like potato dumplings that have ascended in popularity among home cooks in recent years — particularly for pan-frying or roasting instead of boiling. 

If you are able to get your hands on fresh refrigerated gnocchi, however, feel free to use it. Plain gnocchi does not have much flavor, so I zhuzh it up with melted butter, olive oil and spices. 

Separately, I toss the spring vegetables in a mixture of butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. At high baking temperatures, the vegetables roast quicker than the gnocchi, hence bake the vegetables and the gnocchi on separate sheets so that you can take vegetables out of the oven first. 

You want slight browning on the vegetables; the gnocchi will be more evenly browned.

Instead of tossing the gnocchi in a pasta sauce, I like to serve it over a bright green puree. 

To save time, start preparing the puree when the baking sheets are in the oven, though you will need to pluck out some of the roasted red spring onions and garlic. 

The green peas are first blanched in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Then simply add all of the ingredients — the blanched peas, roasted spring onions, cannellini beans, fresh herbs and lemon juice for brightness — to a high-speed blender to get a smooth puree. A bit of water is needed to get the right consistency, so that it is more like a thick, pourable soup.

To plate the dish, first pour some puree on the bottom of a pasta bowl, followed by the baked gnocchi with the roasted vegetables. Freshly grated Parmesan tops it off, along with some microgreens for an elegant finish. Enjoy this on a crisp spring Bay Area evening, with a glass of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

How do I store the leftovers for Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree?

The puree can be stored in a separate container in the fridge, and the vegetables and gnocchi can be stored in another container in the fridge. Store upto a day. Re-heat the puree and the gnocchi-vegetable mixture separately, and then serve in a plate, with Parmesan and microgreens.

Where can I find store bought gnocchi?

All the local grocery stores carry pre-prepped gnocchi, either in the frozen section, or it is vacuum packed in the pasta section.

Where can I find cannellini beans?

All the local grocery stores carry canned cannellini beans.

Other spring dinner inspirations on my blog are:

• Spring Green Soup
• Spring Vegetables and Paneer Makhani
• Roasted Broccolini and Radish with Salsa Verde
• Leek and Saffron Arancini
• Artichokes, Green Peas and California Ripe Olives Pasta

If you make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.

XO

Amisha

** First published for S.F.Chronicle linked here. **

Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree

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5 from 1 review

• Amisha Gurbani

Serves 4

 

Make an easy weeknight meal with this Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Pea and Bean Puree. It’s full of spring vegetables like asparagus, sugar snap peas, green peas and red spring onion. It also requires no stovetop cooking; the oven does most of the work. If you can’t find red spring onions, you could use green ones; since they’re more slender, increase the volume and remove them from the oven sooner.

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Ingredients

Gnocchi Asparagus Bake

• 1 (12 ounce) package gnocchi (shelf stable or refrigerated)
• 12 ounces asparagus, tough ends trimmed and sliced into thirds
• 6 ounces sugar snap peas, cut into thirds
• 2 stalks red spring onions, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons table salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 3/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

Green Pea and Cannellini Bean Puree

• 1 cup green peas (frozen or fresh)
• 1 (15 1/2 ounces) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, packed
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish

• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Microgreens

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Method

Make the Gnocchi Asparagus Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the gnocchi on a quarter sheet baking pan and set aside. 
3. Place the asparagus and sugar snap peas on ¾ of a half sheet baking pan. Add the red spring onions on the remaining ¼ of the pan. Add the garlic on the side with the red spring onions. Set side.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and olive oil.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter-oil mixture, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, garam masala and red chile flakes to the gnocchi. Toss to combine. Set aside.
6. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter-oil mixture, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper to the asparagus and sugar snap peas. Toss to combine. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter-oil mixture, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper to the spring onions. Toss to combine, keeping the onions separate from the asparagus and snap peas. (The garlic doesn’t need any of the butter-oil mixture.)
7. Place the vegetable pan on the lower bottom rack of the oven and the gnocchi pan on the middle rack of the oven. After 10 minutes, stir the vegetables and gnocchi separately.
8. Remove the roasted vegetables after 20 minutes. They should look lightly browned. Place half of the roasted onions and all of the garlic on a plate for the puree and set it aside.
9. Remove the baked gnocchi after about 25 minutes. They should look evenly golden brown and crispy. Toss the gnocchi with the roasted vegetables on the larger sheet pan.

Make the Green Pea and Cannellini Bean Puree

1. While the baking is underway, place 2½ cups of water in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil. Add the green peas and blanch for about 2 minutes. Drain the water through a sieve and run the peas under cold water.
2. Place the blanched green peas, cannellini beans, mint, basil, water, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and the reserved roasted onions and garlic in a high-speed blender. Blend until it forms a smooth puree.

Assembly

1. Divide the puree among 4 pasta plates. Divide and plate the gnocchi and roasted vegetable mixture on top of the puree. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and microgreens for a lovely finish. 

 

Notes

How do I store the leftovers for Gnocchi Asparagus Bake with Peas and Bean Puree?

The puree can be stored in a separate container in the fridge, and the vegetables and gnocchi can be stored in another container in the fridge. Store upto a day. Re-heat the puree and the gnocchi-vegetable mixture separately, and then serve in a plate, with Parmesan and microgreens.

 

Where can I find store bought gnocchi?

All the local grocery stores carry pre-prepped gnocchi, either in the frozen section, or it is vacuum packed in the pasta section.

 

Where can I find cannellini beans?

All the local grocery stores carry canned cannellini beans.