Standard Tap's Semolina Gnocchi with Seasonal Vegetables and Pea Sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings

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For the gnocchi:

11/4 cup water

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup semolina flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

5 whole eggs

For the sauce:

1 cup English peas, boiled in salted water for 1 minute, shocked in ice water, then drained

1/2 cup rough-chopped flat-leaf parsley

4 mint leaves

1 shallot, sliced and cooked in 1 teaspoon butter until soft, about 3 minutes over medium heat, set aside to cool

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 cup heavy cream

For final assembly:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Seasonal vegetable garnish, such as 2 ounces maitake mushrooms, 2 stalks of asparagus cut into one-inch pieces, and 2 spring onions cut into one-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

Parmesan to taste

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1. Bring water and butter to a boil. Once it's boiling, slowly add both flours and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Place hot mixture and Parmesan cheese into bowl of mixer with paddle attachment. Turn on medium speed and slowly add eggs one at a time. Once all eggs are added, let mix for about 2 minutes until slightly cool.

2. Place mixture into a reusable piping bag fitted with a half-inch round tip and place into refrigerator until cool, about two hours.

3. Make the sauce: Puree the peas, parsley, mint, shallot, and vegetable stock in blender until smooth. (It can now be refrigerated until needed.) Transfer directly to sauce pot, with the heavy cream, bring to a simmer, and season with salt to taste. Once hot, stir in about 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once gnocchi dough is cool, squeeze it into the pot of boiling water, cutting it with a small paring knife into half-inch pieces, squeezing and cutting intermittently. Squeeze, cut, squeeze, cut. Poach in boiling water until gnocchi float and feel firm when skimmed out of the water. If they give when you push on them, they need more time.

5. Once they're cooked, remove with slotted spoon and place on a lightly oiled tray. If not using immediately, toss the gnocchi in a few drops of olive oil and store them in a resealable container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

6. To prepare dish: heat saute pan over high flame with olive oil. Add gnocchi and cook until just starting to get golden brown. Add whatever vegetables you like, sauteeing those ingredients with 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter and garlic, until tender, about 3 minutes. Place sauce in bottom of a wide bowl, then place gnocchi and vegetables on sauce, and finish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Per serving (based on 8): 415 calories, 11 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams sugar, 33 grams fat, 184 milligrams cholesterol, 812 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

– From Standard Tap chef Joel MazigianEndText