Green asparagus with gnocchi and pesto

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, green
• 1 shallot(s)
• 70 g bacon, streaky, tastes good without it as a vegetarian dish!)
• 2 tomatoes
• some pine nuts
• olive oil
• 400 g gnocchi
• salt and pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• nutmeg
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 60 g Parmesan, grated
• 10 g pine nuts
• 100 ml olive oil
• Sea salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Wash the asparagus and peel the bottom ends. Then cut into 2 cm pieces. Thinly slice the shallot. Dice the tomatoes (you can peel them first if you like). Toast some pine nuts in a pan. Then remove and set aside. Heat a little oil and fry the shallots, diced bacon, and asparagus for 8-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the asparagus; it should still have some bite). Add 10 g of pine nuts, roughly chopped garlic, Parmesan cheese, roughly chopped basil, and 100 ml of olive oil to the food processor and blend everything into a classic pesto. Season with sea salt. Cook the gnocchi in salted water until they float to the top; this usually only takes 2-4 minutes. Add the gnocchi, tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts to the asparagus, season to taste, and stir briefly. Serve on plates and spread some of the pesto on top. It’s also a feast for the eyes and penne or fresh baguette also go well as an alternative to gnocchi.