Gebacken Gnocchi Recipe

Preheat

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly oil a medium baking dish (about 22 x 30 cm) or cast-iron skillet.

Par-cook the gnocchi: bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float and are just tender, about 1–2 minutes for fresh/refrigerated gnocchi. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate; reserve 60 ml of the cooking water.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tbs olive oil. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not brown.

Stir in the cream and stock, then add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. If the sauce looks too thick to coat the gnocchi, stir in up to the reserved cooking water (up to 60 ml) to loosen.

Combine par-cooked gnocchi with the sauce in the skillet or in the prepared baking dish so the gnocchi are evenly coated.

Prepare asparagus and tomatoes: trim and cut asparagus into 3 cm pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Lightly sauté asparagus and artichoke hearts in a separate skillet with 1 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes so they start to soften and take color; add the peas in the last minute just to warm through. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Fold the sautéed asparagus, artichokes, peas and cherry tomatoes into the gnocchi and sauce so everything is evenly distributed in the baking dish.

Scatter the mixed seeds or pine nuts over the top for crunch.

Sprinkle 60 g of the grated Parmesan evenly over the assembled gnocchi. Reserve 20 g for finishing.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, until the top is golden, bubbling at the edges, and the vegetables are tender. For a more browned top, switch to the grill/broil setting for the final 2–3 minutes—watch carefully to prevent burning.

Remove from oven and let rest 3–5 minutes. Finish by sprinkling the remaining 20 g Parmesan, torn basil leaves, and red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more salt and pepper or a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.

Serve warm, spooning portions so each plate gets a mix of gnocchi, vegetables, seeds and melted Parmesan.