Summer Gnocchi

This easy summer gnocchi is the perfect way to use up any extra veggies you have lying around! Use this basic technique as a blank canvas for your favorite summer produce. Vegetarian.

this recipe

This simple gnocchi recipe is my summertime secret weapon.

It's ready in well under 30 minutes, full of flavor, and the perfect blank canvas for a wide array of veggies. When our CSA (community supported agriculture) share is in full swing, I make this recipe (along with our burst tomato pasta and this brothy butter beans recipe!) nearly every week to help us work through the pile of vegetables we get from our farmers.

PS - Need to find a CSA in your area? Check out Local Harvest's CSA Search tool!

This is a very loose recipe: it's really just veggies + a quick white wine sauce + fresh gnocchi.

Once you get the basic technique down, you can adapt this dish for whatever you have on hand (and we'll walk you through some of our favorite substitutions below!)

Our basic order of operations:

1. Boil a pot of water for the gnocchi (the gnocchi cook FAST, so we like to use two pots here!)
2. In a large, heavy skillet, sauté the shallot and garlic in a bit of butter, then add the rest of the veggies and cook for a few minutes until they're soft and warmed through.
3. Add some white wine to your veggies and let it reduce while you cook the gnocchi.
4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi to the skillet, then toss everything together with some salt and pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of fresh herbs!

Which veggies should I use?

This gnocchi is the world's best blank canvas: use anything you have on hand! Some of our favorite combinations:

• Classic Combo: Sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini (pictured in these photos!)
• Lots of greens: Zucchini, kale, peas (snap peas, snow peas, frozen peas, fresh peas: all good!)
• A bit of spice: Bell peppers, jalapeño or poblano (raw or roasted), sweet corn (this is also good with a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper!)
• End-of-summer: Spinach, kale, roasted butternut squash or acorn squash

You can mix and match just about any veggies you have on hand here! (You can also add some cream cheese for a thicker sauce à la our tomato and sweet corn pasta) We've made this gnocchi with peppers, corn, tomatoes, every kind of squash (if you have a hard squash like butternut or acorn, roast it first), peas, kale, spinach, arugula, carrots, you name it! We also love switching out the herbs (try dill, sage, parsley, or rosemary!)

Adjusting the sauce

This is a very light, basic white wine sauce, but you can mix it up in all sorts of ways!

• For a creamier version, add a few Tablespoons of heavy cream after the white wine reduces (similar to our alfredo with corn!) This recipe is also good with a few scoops of our Magic Cauliflower Cream!
• Prefer more sauce? Double the butter and wine in this recipe, and add an extra splash of lemon juice if you like. If the gnocchi looks too dry once you toss it with the veggies, you can also melt in more butter a Tablespoon at a time or add a drizzle of good olive oil and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Add a scoop of pesto for extra flavor! We love adding a spoonful of basil pesto, arugula pesto, or kale pesto here.
• For an alcohol-free sauce, swap chicken or veggie stock (or parmesan stock, if you have it!) for the white wine.

Hungry for more? Try our creamy mushroom gnocchi next →

Video: How to make this summer gnocchi

📖 Recipe

Summer Gnocchi

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Jessie
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Pasta
• Cuisine: Italian-American
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This easy, colorful gnocchi recipe is ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for using up those CSA veggies!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound gnocchi
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, diced (about ⅓ cup)
• 3 cups of veggies, cut into bite sized pieces (we used 1 cup each of diced zucchini, sweet corn kernels, and halved cherry tomatoes)
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ of a large lemon
• ¼ packed cup fresh herbs, sliced (we used basil)
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until shallot is slightly softened. 
3. Add diced veggies and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Spread veggies into an even layer and cook for 4-8 minutes until lightly browned. (Try not to stir very much so the veggies have a chance to sit and brown. This exact cook time will depend on your mix of veggies).
4. Add white wine to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine has reduced by half. 
5. Add cooked gnocchi, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Taste and add seasoning if necessary. 
6. At the very end of cooking, add sliced herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir to combine, then top with extra herbs (optional) and serve.

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Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Top this gnocchi with parmesan cheese if you like! Use onion or green onion instead of shallot. Use any veggies you have on hand! We love greens (spinach, kale, arugula), peppers (bell pepper, roasted jalapeño or poblano), yellow squash, carrots, or any other veggies we have on hand. As fall approaches, we also love adding roasted brussels sprouts, butternut squash, broccoli, and cauliflower. Use chicken or veggie stock or parmesan broth in place of the white wine. For a creamier sauce, add a splash of heavy cream. Use any herbs you like here: we love basil, but this recipe is also good with cilantro, parsley, chives, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Use your favorite dried pasta in place of the gnocchi if you like.

What gnocchi should I use? We typically grab a package of store-bought gnocchi here to keep things easy,  but this recipe is also great with homemade gnocchi! Try this authentic gnocchi recipe or use our shortcut leftover mashed potatoes gnocchi.

This is a light, thin sauce: If you prefer more sauce, add a splash of heavy cream or double the butter and white wine in this recipe. You can also finish this gnocchi with an extra Tablespoon of butter, a drizzle of good olive oil, or a spoonful of your favorite arugula pesto or tomato sauce. This gnocchi is also good with a few scoops of our favorite cauliflower cream sauce!

For a vegan option, use olive oil in place of the butter here and look for a vegan gnocchi brand or recipe.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 318
• Sugar: 4.2 g
• Sodium: 405.9 mg
• Fat: 6.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 55.5 g
• Protein: 6.8 g
• Cholesterol: 15.3 mg

Keywords: vegetarian, summer, csa

The photos for this recipe were taken by Casey at The Mindful Hapa!