Spring Vegetable Gnocchi (Easy Veggie Gnocchi)

By Alexandra Caspero on March 24, 2023
Peas and asparagus in a light cream sauce with pillowy gnocchi. 
Serves 4

Spring Vegetable Gnocchi! This vegetarian gnocchi recipe is delicious and easy! If you are looking for a new way to enjoy gnocchi, you’ve gotta try this veggie gnocchi recipe.

This veggie gnocchi recipe is the perfect way to welcome back spring. Fresh, crisp asparagus spears with bright peas in a light cream sauce with pillowy gnocchi. I’ve made this easy vegetarian gnocchi recipe twice in the last week and it’s been a hit each time.

First, with just BL and I and then again last night for our Easter dinner with his parents. When my father-in-law goes back for a forth serving, you know this one’s a keeper.

This gnocchi recipe is a slightly different version of one of my favorite recipes in cookbook, Fresh Italian Cooking for the New Generation.

While that dish celebrates summer with fresh corn and zucchini, I’m giving this one a springtime touch with shallots, asparagus and peas. It’s so, so good. Even though this recipe plans on serving four, BL and I polished off the entire pan over the course of the afternoon.

Vegetarian Gnocchi Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Potato gnocchi (whole-wheat if preferred)
  • Olive oil, or butter
  • Shallots
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Fresh asparagus
  • Frozen spring peas, thawed if frozen
  • Parmesan cheese (see notes for dairy-free version)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (see notes for dairy-free version)
  • Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
  • Red pepper flakes, if desired

Veggie Gnocchi Substitute Options:

This recipe and cooking method is very adaptable. Onions and leeks can be substituted for the shallots or using zucchini and fresh corn for the asparagus and peas for a summer option, as described above. Spinach or other leafy greens can be added at the end, until just wilted. 

If you don’t have gnocchi or can’t find it, you can substitute in any short, whole wheat pasta for the gnocchi.

Packaged gnocchi is great for this weeknight recipe, though here’s my recipe for homemade gnocchi if you want. That is a fun recipe

To make this vegan gnocchi: 

For my dairy-free and vegan friends, this veggie gnocchi recipe is easily adaptable. Try it with my homemade parmesan cheese or any store-bought vegan parmesan instead of the parmesan cheese. Swap cashew cream or purchased non-dairy heavy cream for the heavy cream. Silk makes a great heavy cream alternative or you could use a thicker non-dairy milk, like full-fat oat milk.

Easy Vegetarian Gnocchi Recipe

Instructions for how to make this Veggie Gnocchi Recipe:

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until done according to package directions. Drain and lightly rinse with water. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, shallots and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until shallots are slightly soft.

Add the asparagus and cook for 8-10 minutes until asparagus is fork tender. Stir in the peas and cooked gnocchi, then cook for another 2-3 minutes until peas are heated through.

Enjoy as is, or garnish with fresh basil.

Spring Vegetable Gnocchi! Peas And Asparagus In A Light Cream Sauce And Gnocchi. Vegetarian | Www.delishknowledge.com

Delicious Spring Vegetarian Gnocchi

Whatever version you end of making, I think you are going to love this one. It’s ready in just 30 minutes, a perfect spring-time dinner. While roasted asparagus is my favorite side dish, I opted for a stove-top sauté for faster prep time. Decked out with lemon, red pepper flakes and a light shaving of parmesan, it’s simple yet full of flavor.

Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this one as it can affect the texture of the gnocchi once thawed and reheated. 

If you’re looking for an easy veggie gnocchi recipe, then you will want to save this one. It’s a crowd pleaser in my house and know it will be in your house as well!

If you love this veggie gnocchi recipe, you’ll love these Spring pasta recipes:

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Spring Vegetable Gnocchi! Peas And Asparagus In A Light Cream Sauce And Gnocchi. Vegetarian | Www.delishknowledge.com

Spring Veggie Gnocchi

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: pasta, main, dinner, entree, vegetables
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: pasta, italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Spring Vegetable Gnocchi! This vegetarian gnocchi recipe is delicious and easy! Peas and asparagus in a light cream sauce and gnocchi. 


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: pasta, main, dinner, entree, vegetables
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: pasta, italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: pasta, main, dinner, entree, vegetables
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: pasta, italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Scale

Ingredients

  • (16 ounce) package gnocchi (whole-wheat if preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • One bunch asparagus, chopped into 1″ pieces
  • 1 cup spring peas, thawed if frozen
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (see notes for dairy-free version)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (see notes for dairy-free version)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • red pepper flakes, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until done according to package directions. Drain and lightly rinse with water. Set aside.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the olive oil, shallots and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until shallots are slightly soft.
  4. Add the asparagus and cook for 8-10 minutes until asparagus is fork tender.
  5. Stir in the peas and cooked gnocchi, cooking for another 2-3 minutes until peas are heated through.
  6. Remove from heat and sprinkle in parmesan cheese, cream and lemon juice. Stir to combine and add crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

I’ve made this dairy-free and these are the substitutions that I use:

For the parmesan cheese- I rely on my homemade cheese, a combination of almonds, cashews, nutritional yeast and garlic powder. You can find the recipe here.

For the heavy cream, I use cashew cream, which is a blend of cashews and water together that creates a consistency similar to cream.

did you make this?

Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge

This recipe was first posted in 2016 and updated in 2021. 

Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

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    1. NC
      April 6, 2022 AT 5:59 pm

      Perfect and quick–and flexible! I got to clear out some of my leftovers: I threw some thin sliced “sticks” of tofu in with the asparagus, some spinach in with the peas and gnocchi. I used some coconut milk for the cream to keep it vegan. Love the colors of spring in this dish!






      1. Alex
        April 7, 2022 AT 7:49 am

        That sounds delicious!

    2. Debbie
      September 27, 2021 AT 5:56 pm

      Love it






    3. Kira
      March 3, 2021 AT 7:26 pm

      This was so yummy!! I actually used a bit of canned coconut milk instead of cream and it tasted wonderful 🙂 thanks for this!






      1. Alex
        March 4, 2021 AT 4:10 am

        So glad you liked it, thanks Kira!

    4. Jennifer
      May 4, 2020 AT 6:47 pm

      Made this for “Meatless Monday” and it was a resounding success. I am slowly moving the family toward a more plant-based diet- it’s a stealth mission but so far, so good. This was super easy for a work-night meal (pandemic version) and even my teen who claims to hate peas loved it and ate everything. It’s going to stay in the rotation, for sure.






      1. Alex
        May 5, 2020 AT 11:14 am

        So glad you liked it!

    5. Denise
      April 28, 2018 AT 8:05 pm

      made this for dinner tonight. absolutely delicious! I’ve been going through your recipes and printing lots. next up is the Buddha bowl for my work lunches this week. So glad I found your website!






      1. Alex
        April 29, 2018 AT 5:24 pm

        So glad you liked it! Thanks Denise!

    6. Barbara Alfeo
      March 9, 2018 AT 12:46 am

      I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?






      1. Alex
        March 11, 2018 AT 5:52 pm

        Hi Barbara- you are welcome to share my link! Thanks!

    7. Egle
      February 27, 2018 AT 5:56 am

      Hi,
      This is a lovely recipe and I will for sure will make it again . I made a vegan version of if last night and it was just what I needed. I also added a handful of spinach just to give even more vibrant green colour to the dish.
      I also had it for lunch and it was nice, but like with many dishes, it tastes the best when served right away.
      Thank you.






      1. Angela
        May 14, 2018 AT 11:27 am

        I was wanting to make a vegan version as well, but was hoping to find an alternative to making the cashew cream she mentions in her notes. What did you use for the cream?






        1. Alex
          May 14, 2018 AT 11:31 am

          Hi Angela- if you don’t want to use cashew cream, what about a ready-prepared vegan creamer like a soy creamer or an almond cream? As long as it’s unsweetened, it should work.

    8. Lee
      October 2, 2017 AT 10:32 am

      I made this recipe last night for the second time since stumbling upon it. There are no words to describe how delicious it is! The only alteration I made to the recipe was to chop up a small package of brussels sprouts and add them in to cook at the same time as the asparagus…just so I would have more of the dish to enjoy 🙂 This recipe is just so good and really easy to make. I think it even converted my non-veggie loving boyfriend, who was the one to ask me to make it again!






      1. Alex
        October 3, 2017 AT 11:09 am

        Hi Lee- so glad that you liked it! Thanks for the comment.

    9. Lex
      September 13, 2017 AT 9:05 pm

      WHere are the notes for the vegan version?

      1. Alex
        September 14, 2017 AT 9:43 am

        Hi Lex- sorry for that. I reformatted all of my recipes recently and it must not have transferred over. I just added it. Thanks! Alex

    10. Laura
      March 26, 2017 AT 4:27 pm

      Just made this dish……easy, fresh, and oh my goodness so yummy!!! Thank you so much! An easy, healthyish 🙂 meal….could easily add a few different things to,change it up a bit. But definitely a keeper!!!






      1. Alex
        March 27, 2017 AT 12:53 pm

        Hi Laura, thanks so much for the comment! Glad you liked it!

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