Creamy Lemon Asparagus Gnocchi

By Kayla Hoang

Published May 27, 2026

  • Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
35 min
Rating
5(31)
Comments
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Pasta is swapped for gnocchi and asparagus in this bright and creamy, one-pan dish inspired by pasta al limone. In this recipe, rather than boiling and blanching, store-bought gnocchi and asparagus are quickly pan-fried together until the gnocchi is tender and golden brown and the asparagus is bright and crisp. A combination of broth and heavy cream as the base makes for a speedy sauce and keeps the dish on the lighter side. For the brightest lemon flavor without any of the sourness, lemon zest is used in two ways: half is added to the butter for the sauce to release its oils and create an aromatic base, and half is stirred in at the end for a fresher note. Rather than relying on starchy pasta water to thicken, lemon juice reacts with the cream and transforms the thinner sauce into one that’s silky, velvety and clings perfectly to the gnocchi. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 large lemon

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 (16 to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi

  • 1 bunch (about 1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed and stalks cut into ½-inch pieces

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • ¾ cup heavy cream

  • ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 

  • Black pepper 

  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Zest the lemon (you should have about 1 tablespoon zest). Juice the lemon into a small bowl until you have 1 ½ tablespoons.

  2. Step 2

    In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering, about 1 ½ minutes. Add the gnocchi to the skillet in an even layer, breaking up any gnocchi that are stuck together. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the asparagus and a pinch of salt to the skillet and toss to combine. Cover again and cook until the asparagus is bright green and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring halfway. Transfer to a bowl or plate. 

  3. Step 3

    Wipe out the skillet if needed and return to the burner over medium heat. Melt the butter. Once melted, add half of the lemon zest and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. 

  4. Step 4

    Add the heavy cream, broth and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a healthy simmer over high heat, about 1 minute. Simmer, adjusting heat as needed, until the sauce is reduced slightly and clings to the back of a spoon in a thin layer, 2 to 3 minutes. While stirring, add the Parmesan. 

  5. Step 5

    Return the gnocchi and asparagus to the skillet and toss to combine (the sauce will be thin and won’t cling to the gnocchi). Bring the mixture to a healthy simmer over high heat and continue to cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a steady bubble, until the sauce thickens and clings to the gnocchi, 1 ½  to 3 minutes more. (There will be a decent amount of somewhat thin sauce; stirring in the lemon juice in the next step will thicken the sauce and bring it all together). 

  6. Step 6

    Remove the skillet from the heat. Stirring constantly, add the remaining lemon zest and lemon juice. The sauce will thicken and become silky. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan and pepper as desired. 

    Tip

    • Extra lemon juice can be stirred in at the end for more zing, but note that the sauce will continue to thicken as more juice is added. 

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    Ratings

    5 out of 5
    31 user ratings
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    Comments

    Madison

    Ends up being very lemony! Super good though, if you don’t want it to be super lemony I would reduce the juice to half.

    NJW

    Easy and tasty. Substituted zucchini for the asparagus, and probably would have preferred the extra cronch of the asparagus.

    Martha

    I added a pound of shrimp in step 3 We loved this

    Marcelo Nobrega

    This was delicious. I added sautéed shitake mushrooms and it all turned out wonderful.

    StillLearning

    Will greek yogurt work in place of heavy cream, anybody know?

    Kathleen

    @StillLearningI use evaporated milk in place of cream in recipes, sometimes even low fat evaporated milk, turns out great!

    bev

    Am going to try it out tonight - will comment when I know.

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