Sweet Potato Gnocchi with fresh asparagus and homemade Dandelion Pesto make a fabulous quick and healthy meal! Make your own Sweet Potato Gnocchi to keep this dish grain free, gluten free and vegan!
If people ask me if we have kids, I hesitate (the answer is no, of course). I hesitate with my response because – – we have a dog!!
OK, it’s not exactly the same as having children but there are some remarkable parallels. For instance, last week, my puppy girl was sick. We’ve had her for 4 years and this is the first time she had health issues…
It all started with my girl not sleeping through the night and needing to go out, like, every hour. For a couple of nights, I didn’t get any sleep as my pup wasn’t feeling well, so I stayed up with her, rubbed her tummy, even (not sure if that was necessary but hey, I tried).
During the day, I didn’t leave the house for more than 1-2 hours at a time as I was worried she’d get worse or needed to go out (no doggy door in this rental house!). I work from home so it’s not a huge deal but I wonder how people manage with full time jobs that work in offices? Do you get sick days when your puppy is sick? Big mystery.
So, when her condition didn’t improve, I took her to the vet (only the best vet ever, Dr. Tim; this man is a legend around here as he takes care of the all the abandoned, rejected and stray animals like a total hero, nbd).
The puppy is fine now; Dr. Tim gave her some medication and I’m monitoring what she eats so she’s on the mend, but be honest! Doesn’t that sound just a little bit like having a child? The sleep deprivation, the worrying, the doctor visits, the staying at home with the patient, the bathing, the butt wiping (sometimes, yah!)… and above all, the not minding any of it because you do it out of love?!
Since I was totally sleep deprived last week, I didn’t feel like cooking any big meals. I’m beyond cranky when I do not get my beauty sleep, just ask my soldier. I admit, I’m no fun to be around when I lack rest and it transfers to most of my daily activities, like, cooking.
On one of my very uninspired trips to the market, I found fresh sweet potato gnocchi. And organic asparagus! Those two ingredients, together with my left over Dandelion Pesto made a terrific quick and healthy meal that night so I had to share this recipe with you!
It seems like most store bought gnocchi have a bunch of additives; the product I found was borderline so I can’t really recommend it, however, check out Cara’s recipe for home made grain free and vegan Sweet Potatoe Gnocchi! I haven’t tried it yet but her method and the ingredients she uses are pretty close to the Italian original as I know it.
Of course you can use any pesto you’d like but I love how the slightly bitter Dandelion Pesto complements the sweetness of the potatoes – and the lemon brightens all these flavors beautifully!
- 9 oz sweet potato gnocchi
- 1½ cups asparagus (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoon pesto
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cook gnocchi according to (packaging) directions and set aside. Make sure to separate Gnocchi as they will stick together otherwise. Wash asparagus, remove woody ends and chop into 2-3 inch long pieces.
- Add oil to a medium skillet over medium heat and sweat shallot until translucent. Add asparagus and saute until slightly tender (about 3-5 minutes).
- Turn down heat to medium-low and add gnocchi; stir gently and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off heat, add pesto and lemon juice and carefully stir until well combined.
- Serve with fresh herbs or (vegan) Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Aww I hope your puppy girl is doing much better now, it sounds like she was in the best hands when having you tending to her and the infamous Dr. Tim! 😀
This dish looks fantastic 😀 Gnocchi is such a great comfort food 🙂 I need to try and make them myself!
Hope you’re well 🙂 I had the sweetheart salad of yours as part of my breakfast today! I have yet to master the craftsmanship of cookie-cutting citrus fruits though 😛 x
Jules, you are so sweet! Thanks for your kind words. Yes, the pup is gradually getting better!
I’m super flattered to hear you are trying all kinds of recipes from my site — thank you so much for sharing some feedback, too!
Awww we love our dogs, too!! I have children AND dogs so I feel qualified to say, yes, there are a lot of parallels, indeed!
I haven’t eaten Gnocchi in years but will have to now after seeing this delicious recipe. Thanks, Rose! Pinned!
So glad to hear you’re agreeing with me on the dog thing. I feared mothers would be insulted by my comparison haha!
Poor puppy! Hope she’s feeling better. I have to tell you, this is the most perfect dish! LOVE it!
Thank you, Lauren!!
I love that you used sweet potatoes to make your gnocchi! great idea!
Thanks, Martha!
I glad your girl is feeling better! 🙂 I’m all about the simple dinners lately so this is a must try!
I hope you’ll enjoy it, Ashley!
Oh, I want to get my hands on some of that gnocchi, it’s so beautiful – especially against the green. This is such a delicious dish! I do have kids, but I also have pets, and they are very much a part of our family.
Thanks, Heather! 🙂
So glad that your pup is doing better! And yes, total mom moments! We have 3 dogs and not kiddos but I’m still “mom” to the pups! haha
P.s Sweet Potato Gnocchi is so good isn’t it!
Yes – mom moments! That captures it perfectly 🙂
I’m glad that your puppy is feeling better! All that asparagus is calling my name!
Thanks, Kirsten!
This is such a pretty dish! I love all that fresh asparagus!
I went through this with my SousPug a couple years ago when he was gravely ill. My 9to9 somewhat understood but no sick leave – I would go home midday, come in late, leave early and take the hit on the time. If he was in the hospital, I would be there at 8 to handfeed him meals and visit so many sleepless nights. My heart goes out to you – I’m glad your pup is on the mend. My JuniorSousPug sends your little one paw bumps for a quick recovery!
This gnocchi is EVERYTHING – its stunning and looks utterly delicious.
Awww you hand fed your puppy meals? That is so touching! Yes, I thought it would be very hard for folks with full time jobs… I’m glad you managed somehow. Paw bumps back to your JuniorSousPug 🙂 precious!!
Glad your puppy is feeling better! Our pup is definitely one of our kids! Lovely dish!
Thanks, Marjory!
Tried it, loved it!! I bought gnocchi, too… didn’t have time to make them myself but I loved how quick this meal was to throw together! The pesto only took a few minutes – I had everything ready in less than a half hour!
Awesome – so glad you enjoyed this recipe!