Crisp Gnocchi with Smashed Peas

Name: Crisp Gnocchi with Smashed Peas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 1 pound packaged gnocchi; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 cup frozen peas, (thawed, 1/2 cup mashed with a fork and 1/4 cup left whole); 2 garlic cloves, (minced); 2 scallions, (thinly sliced); 1 lemon, (juice and zest); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons grated parmesan (plus more for serving); 1 cup baby arugula

By Paige Adams

on Mar 12, 2025

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A combination of pantry, frozen and fresh ingredients make this crisp gnocchi with smashed peas a wonderful and simple spring vegetarian dinner recipe. After I simmer the gnocchi, I sauté it until it’s golden brown. Then I add peas, both mashed and whole, minced garlic, lemon and scallions. Ready in less than 20 minutes, I finish it by stirring in parmesan and baby arugula.

Also, try this skillet gnocchi recipe with roasted red peppers and white beans.

Spring gnocchi with smashed peas in a bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is a quick and easy dinner recipe perfect for a busy weeknight. Ready in less than 20 minutes, this combination of gnocchi and peas is a fantastic and filling vegetarian dinner.

Packaged gnocchi is one of the most convenient pantry ingredients. It deserves a space on the shelf with all your different pasta shapes. These potato dumplings are hearty and a great starting point for a veggie-packed meal.

Frozen peas give you a taste of spring no matter the time of year. Peas are flash frozen at their peak ripeness. That preserves their delicate flavor, and they are budget friendly too.

The Ingredients

Ingredients including gnocchi, peas, arugula, parmesan, scallions, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

This is what you need:

Gnocchi: You can find packaged potato gnocchi with in the pasta section at the grocery. You can substitute with cauliflower gnocchi or another gluten-free version depending on your dietary preferences.
Peas: I only buy frozen peas unless I am at the farmers market, and I would save those fresh peas for another recipe like a salad to really show them off. To thaw, put the frozen peas in a colander and rinse them with cold water. I keep a half cup of the peas whole and mash the rest of them with a fork.
Scallions give the gnocchi mild onion flavor. I like to think of them as a cross between an onion and fresh herbs.
Arugula: I stir in baby arugula to give the mellow ingredients a peppery bite. The heat in the pan will quickly soften the greens. You can substitute with baby spinach or use a combination of both.
Parmesan: I stir this hard Italian cow’s milk cheese into the gnocchi with the arugula. If you want something more pungent, swap it for pecorino cheese or use both.
Garlic: The recipe calls for 2 minced garlic cloves. If you love garlic, you can up that quantity to 3.
Lemon: There is no waste with the lemon because you need both the juice and the zest. This gives the gnocchi nice citrusy freshness.
Olive oil & butter: I sauté the gnocchi in both butter and oil to get that golden color and light crust on the outside and for taste.
Kosher salt & black pepper season the overall dish. I also simmer the gnocchi in salted boiling water.

How To Make Crisp Gnocchi with Smashed Peas

1. Cook the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Then follow the recommended cook time on the package. The gnocchi will float the surface of the water when they are ready. Then drain in a strainer.

2. Sauté the gnocchi. Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Cook the gnocchi until they are light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Move them around in the pan, so they evenly crisp up.

Gnocchi simmering in a pot. Gnocchi browning in a skillet.

3. Add the peas, both mashed and whole, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper and continue sautéing. It will only take a couple minutes for everything to become fragrant.

4. Stir in the grated parmesan and baby arugula. Then spoon the gnocchi and peas onto plates or into bowls and top with more cheese as desired.

Scallions and peas stirred into sautéed gnocchi. Arugula and parmesan folded into gnocchi.

Serving

Even though this gnocchi recipe already has leafy greens, I still like serving it with a salad like this lemon arugula salad. Other salad options include an Italian chopped salad, a classic house salad or a kale quinoa salad. To go all in on spring, you can serve the gnocchi with parmesan roasted asparagus for a vegetable side dish.

Leftovers & Storage

You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Warm them in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat on the stove with a splash of olive oil. I also recommend adding more arugula. You can chop the gnocchi and eat it like a pasta salad, tossing it with arugula, kale or romaine and vinaigrette.

Recipe Tips

Don’t overcook the gnocchi. It cooks very quickly. They will float to the top of the water when they are ready.
You can make this recipe vegan. Use plant-based, dairy free butter. Also, either leave out the parmesan or sprinkle the final dish with nutritional yeast.
When you finish putting everything together, taste it. You may find that the gnocchi needs a final sprinkle of salt and/or pepper to get the seasonings right to suit your taste.