Creamy Lemon Gnocchi with Asparagus and Baby Greens
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
5 or 6 asparagus spears, trimmed into bite-sized pieces
Olive oil
½ cup plain regular or Greek-style yogurt Zest of 1lemon
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 package gnocchi
2 big handfuls of baby greens, such as spinach or kale
Grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 30to 45 seconds, until it turns a vibrant shade of green. Skim the asparagus out of the pot with a slotted spoon, drizzle with olive oil and set aside. Keep the water simmering.
In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground pepper to form a sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon or more salt, as needed. (If the sauce is too tart, a pinch of sugar will help balance the flavors.) Set aside. Return the pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, stirring to make sure they are separated and floating freely. Once the gnocchi float to the top — it should take just a few minutes — they are done. Use a slotted spoon to skim them out of the pot (reserve the cooking water) and add them to the bowl with the sauce. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce, adding a couple of spoonfuls of the starchy cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce and ensure the gnocchi are well coated.
To serve, place a handful of baby greens in each pasta bowl or plate, top with the gnocchi, then the blanched asparagus. Season with more freshly ground pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.