It’s officially spring, so naturally I’ve been craving the spring vegetables in pasta primavera. And since I prefer potatoes as my starch over pasta, I concocted this beautiful and comforting gnocchi primavera with walnut Parmesan!
But first, I hope you all had a very happy Easter weekend! This year was Abby’s first Easter egg hunt, and she loved it. In fact, she got so into it, she made another little girl cry! I was pretty proud (is that bad?).
My mom made this dress for me when I was Abby’s age!
Us before the egg hunt
You’re probably curious as to how I handled the candy situation with Abby. Fortunately, most of the eggs at this hunt were filled with stickers or plastic toys, but a few had small Tootsie Rolls. I did let Abby eat about three of them, which caused her to drool all over her dress. She loved them, but was so distracted by all of the action around her that she didn’t care when we took the rest of them away.
In addition to the egg hunts, we’ve also really enjoyed the beautiful flowers that accompany spring weather. We were fortunate to move into a house that already had great landscaping in the back yard, so we get to sit back and enjoy the array of flowers that pop up every spring. We also planted two blueberry bushes and a strawberry plant last year, which are all blooming as well.
I love spring!
Blueberry blossoms!
Caught this bee pollinating our blueberry bush. Thanks, friend!
After a winter of eating my weight in root vegetables and kale, I’m ready for fresh local produce to be in season!
Normally I don’t get very excited about peas and asparagus, but at this point in the season, they are a welcome change. And put them in a dish with gnocchi, mushrooms, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and walnut Parmesan . . .
YES. HECK YES.
I’ll be honest, it’s hard to compete with my Butternut Squash & Kale Gnocchi recipe or my Beet & Potato Gnocchi entree, but this Gnocchi Primavera differs from those in that it’s fresh and light — a perfect dish for spring.
Bonus: This dish is oil free, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, and nut free (if you leave off the shaved walnuts). It’s filling, flavorful, nutritious, and good for your waistline!
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ~1/4 lb. asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4-5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 9-oz. packages potato gnocchi (I buy GF, found in the fridge aisle near the ravioli)
- 4-5 large basil leaves, chiffonade (cut into thin strips), plus extra for garnish
- ½ t. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 t. lemon zest
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt, if needed
- Small handful walnut halves, frozen
- Sauté garlic in medium pot over medium heat in a splash of water about 2 mins.
- Pour in the broth and wine and bring to a low boil. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, peas, and gnocchi. Cover pot and cook 5-6 mins, drain, and return contents to pot.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients minus the walnuts, tasting for seasoning. You may want to add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.
- To serve, portion into a pasta bowl and top with a sprig of fresh basil. Using a truffle shaver (or microplane), carefully shave the walnuts over the top of each serving to resemble Parmesan cheese.
This gnocchi primavera dish is so light, yet comforting! After the photo shoot, Abby ran around the house with handfuls of asparagus, shoving them into her mouth like they were candy — and she normally doesn’t like asparagus!
Try this gnocchi dish, as well as the others, and let me know what you think!
And don’t forget to go outside and enjoy this beautiful spring weather!
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