Gnocchi with Lemon and Asparagus

(adapted from "Italian Country Cooking" by Loukie Werle)

Yes! I was really happy with this dish - particularly since it didn't get off to such a great start. It called for homemade breadcrumbs (almost broke my food processor on that one), my store-bought breadcrumbs were, well, just a little old, and I wasn't sure how it was going to work with gnocchi rather than spaghetti. Turns out the answer is: pretty dang good! In fact, I'm fighting the urge to eat my tomorrow's-lunch-portion right now.

So, to continue the carb fest:

1/2 bunch asparagus, bottoms snapped off and cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 lb gnocchi
1/4 cup olive oil...maybe less
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tbsp or so chopped parsley
Freshly-squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated cheese (parmesan or romano) for serving

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it lightly, then add the asparagus. Cook until it's bright green, about 3 minutes, then drain and run under cold water (this apparently preserves the color).

In a saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, and parsley over medium heat, and let it get fragrant - about 2 minutes. Then add the asparagus and stir until it's coated with the olive oil. Since the gnocchi cooks really fast, you can add them back into the water you boiled the asparagus in at the same time you add the asparagus to the olive oil. You may want to turn the heat down on the asparagus a bit, and you can add a squirt of lemon, if you want.

When the gnocchi is done, drain it and add right to the pan with the asparagus, keeping the heat on low. Add the lemon juice and toss for about a minute.

Serve with breadcr- grated cheese!