Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Crispy Gnocchi and Asparagus

Alessandro Bergamo is the sous-chef at Ristorante Cracco by Carlo Cracco in Milano. He's also the S.Pellegrino Young Chef winner for the Italy and South-West Europe region.

30 March, 2021

serves for

total time

1 HR 0 MIN

ingredients

Gnocchi

Potatoes

500 g

All purpose flour

125 g

Egg yolks

Parmigiano cheese

40 g

Salt

Black pepper

Nutmeg

Asparagus cream

Asparagus

600 g

Baking soda

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Béchamel sauce with parmesan cheese

Milk

250 ml

Butter

35 g

All purpose flour

35 g

Young Italian chef Alessandro Bergamo shares his recipe for gnocchi cooked three different ways with asparagus. The perfect seasonal dish for enjoying in company on a beautiful spring day.

Bergamo says the familiar flavours and ingredients in his dish transport him back to his childhood, when his mother and grandmother used to prepare gnocchi with asparagus from the garden on a Sunday, leaving him with what he calls "indelible memories".

The gnocchi are cooked in three different way: first blanched in water, then browned in a pot to give them a crunchy crust, and finally cooked au gratin with a layer of cheese.

Take a look at his simple spring recipe in the step-by-step recipe below:

Step 01

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Cook the potatoes with their skins on, either in water or in the oven. Peel them while hot, then pass them through a vegetable mill.

Step 02

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Add all the other ingredients - flour, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg - to the potatoes.

Knead until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Step 03

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Peel the asparagus ends then blanch the stems in salted water for 2 minutes. Let them cool in cold water.

Season with salt and oil, and set aside for the final decoration.

Step 04

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Finely chop the ends of the asparagus and then blanch them in salted water with a pinch of baking soda. Blend them until you get a smooth cream, and season with salt.

Step 05

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and cook until you get an amber roux. Add the milk and, with the help of a whisk, mix until you get a smooth béchamel sauce without lumps.

Step 06

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Take the gnocchi dough and take a part of it to obtain loaves of about 2 centimetres. Cut into pieces of about 4-5 centimetres. Boil in salted water for a few moments until they come to the surface.

Step 07

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Toast the gnocchi on both sides in a hot pan.

Step 08

Courtesy of Chef Alessandro Bergamo

Decorate the dish with the asparagus cream and the parmesan béchamel sauce. Arrange the gnocchi and alternate with the green asparagus. Decorate as desired with spring flowers.