Gnocchi with Charred Tomatoes and Asparagus
I love this recipe because it is super adaptable to whatever veggies you have in your fridge or what’s in season (think corn instead of asparagus for the summer!). But, my favorite part, is the sweet and smoky complex flavor that is created just by blistering some cherry tomatoes. Blistering the tomatoes is easy, just get your pan nice and hot - drop in your tomatoes and DON’T TOUCH THEM! A little self control and you’ll have smoky delicious blistered tomatoes in 10 minutes flat!
Ingredients.
1 Bunch of Asparagus, cut on a bias into bite sized pieces
1 Cup Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 Cup of Dry White Wine
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped and divided in half
1/3 Cup cold water
2 Tbs Cold Butter (of choice, I like Miyokos Vegan Butter)
Salt and Pepper
1 lb of Pasta of choice - I love Whole Food’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
Naturally creamy and glossy. I wish you could smell this!!
Method.
Step 1.
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat, add avocado oil and drop in your asparagus. Try not to disturb the asparagus until it becomes golden on one side, about 2 minutes. Stir your asparagus and again leave undisturbed so it can get nice and charred. Once your asparagus is golden, crispy on the edges and fork tender, about 5 minutes, remove the asparagus from a pan and wipe the pan clean.
Step 2.
Add more oil to your pan, keep the heat on medium-high and drop in your cherry tomatoes. Similar to the asparagus you want to leave it undisturbed so they can blister, this time for about 5 minutes on each side. This may splatter so I like to cover it until fully blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Step 3.
Once your tomatoes are blistered, add in your chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant. If your pan is dry, add a splash of oil so the garlic can soften. Then add in your white wine and allow to reduce by half.
Step 4.
While your sauce reduces, prepare your pasta of choice. I really like these with the Whole Foods Cauliflower Gnocchi, and I prefer to toast them over boiling them.
Step 5.
Now that your wine sauce has reduced, drop in your cold tabs of butter and stir until the butter is fully melted and the sauce becomes silky. Now drop back in your asparagus, add in your gnocchi and half of your basil and toss.
Top with more fresh basil and enjoy with the rest of the white wine you opened! :)