Recipe from Olive Magazine, April 2019

https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/quick-and-easy/asparagus-gnocchi-with-prosciutto-crumbs/

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for some simple ingredients put together well and that was exactly what this recipe seemed to offer.

Difficulty rating- 2/5

Necessary equipment-

1x baking sheet

1x frying pan

1x saucepan

For how many people? 4 as a starter or 3 for a light lunch.

Timings–

Total time taken (according to the recipe)- 15 minutes

Total time taken by me- 15 minutes

Hands-on time (according to the recipe)- not stated

Hands-on time taken by me (including ingredients prep)- 15 minutes

Cooking time (according to the recipe)- not stated

Cooking time taken by me- 15 minutes

The making–

First, I heated the grill to 180°c then filled and boiled the kettle. I lined a baking tray with tin foil and placed the prosciutto on it before placing under the grill to dry out.

While the prosciutto was crisping up, I put a frying pan over a medium heat, crushed the garlic, melted the butter and fried the garlic in the pan.

When the kettle was boiled, I filled a saucepan with it, added salt and blanched the asparagus for 3 minutes. I reboiled the kettle and filled a bowl with iced water while the asparagus was blanching, then drained the asparagus in a colander and put it into the ice water to refresh. I refilled the saucepan, added more salt to the water and cooked the gnocchi, removing it with a slotted spoon as it floated to the top of the saucepan and added it to the garlic butter in the frying pan. I drained the asparagus again and added that to the pan with the gnocchi and garlic butter and mixed everything together so it was coated in the butter.

I then served the garlicky gnocchi and asparagus in bowls, crumbled over the prosciutto and sprinkled over the grated Parmesan.

Any cheats or changes?

None.

Any extra tips?

Use iced water to refresh the asparagus after blanching to stop it from overcooking.

Anything you’d change for next time?

Some lemon zest or a tiny bit off balsamic vinegar might give an extra zing if you want to cut through the richness.

Serving Size- Would be perfect between four a starter as the recipe suggests. For a light lunch, it would serve three, or two with larger appetites.

The eating-

Gnocchi covered in garlicky, buttery goodness, with some freshness from the asparagus and salty, umami crunch from the prosciutto, with an extra savoury hit from the Parmesan. Well matched ingredients and incredibly more-ish.

Any comments from other people?

My husband said that the crispy prosciutto really helped to lift the dish to the next level.

Verdict– 4/5, an easy recipe for a quick & tasty dish ready in the time it would take to heat up a pizza in the oven.