Don’t you just love gratin dishes? The cheesy goodness is a taste welcomed by all, whether it’s potatoes, cauliflower or pasta. In this case, gnocchi makes a wonderful gratin dish, one you can prepare in advance and bake just before serving.
Gnocchi gratin with broccoli and asparagus
Everyone would love a delicious gratin dish, especially the cook! Why? Because A. it can be prepared in advance and baked just beforfe serving B. it's a NO bechamel gratin which makes it so easy to prepare. Mascarpone cheese adds all the creaminess you need.
Ingredients
- 500 grams gnocchi
- 300 grams broccoli florets
- 10 fresh or frozen asparagus cut into 2 or 3 pieces
- 50 grams cheddar cheese grated
- 50 grams parmesan cheese grated
- 50 grams "kefalotiri" or pecorino cheese grated
- 250 grams mascarpone cheese
- A little nutmeg
- Salt and plenty of pepper
For the topping:
- ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp parmesan grated
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° C, fan. Put a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water. Next to the pot, on the kitchen counter, place a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
- As soon as the water boils, add the broccoli and asparagus. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove the broccoli and asparagus with a slotted spoon (keep the water from the pot) and transfer them directly to the cold water. This way they will not lose their bright green color. When they cool down, drain them from the water and leave them aside.
- Transfer the gnocchi, in the same water you boiled the broccoli. Thwe gnocchi will sink but will rise to the surface when ready (in 2-3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon into a large bowl. Chop the cooled broccoli to large pieces and add to the gnocchi bowl with the asparagus.
- Put the mascarpone cheese in a bowl. Add ¼ cup of the gnocchi-broccoli water. Stir to mix and soften the cheese. Add some grated nutmeg, some salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Add the softened mascarpone to the bowl with the gnocchi, cheddar, parmesan and pecorino (kefalotyri) and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a ceramic dish, 22 x 33 cm.
- Make the coating by thoroughly mixing the breadcrumbs with the parmesan and olive oil. Sprinkle over the gnocchi and transfer to the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheeses melt and the crust becomes crispy and golden.
