Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms with Gnocchi

It's no secret that buying seasonal produce is healthier, tastier, more sustainable and far more exciting (your meal plans depend on what you can find at the markets or at the greengrocers) than buying the same fruits and veg the whole year through. There's another added bonus for me... the price! As a young professional running one's own business, one needs to be smart about these things. The beauty of seasonal produce is in its strict adherence to the laws of economics - by virtue of the produce being readily available, as the supply increases the price drops! This satisfies both my taste buds and my budget - isn't that a treat?

Recently, when walking down the aisles of my local Fruit and Veg City, I came across a brilliant special on fresh, garden-green asparagus that was just too good to resist. My luck continued in the same aisle, where I also found a great special on brown mushrooms. A few bulbs of garlic, some chillis, a couple of red sweet potatoes and some other delicious items later, my shopping for the week was done. Back at home, I surveyed my purchases and tried to decide on a fitting dish with which to showcase my asparagus and mushrooms. I really wanted to use both, and I was craving a touch of cream. I didn't want to do the usual grilled asparagus with Hollandaise, and creamy garlic mushrooms on toast just wasn't cutting it. Pasta was a natural choice, and I had some fresh gnocchi that I was really looking forward to using. I decided to roast the asparagus and mushrooms, which gives great texture to the pasta and intensifies the unique flavours. A dash of cream, a splash of white wine, a good crack of black pepper and supper is served!

You will need:
Serves 4

• Fresh gnocchi
• Fresh asparagus (6-8 spears per person), washed and woody ends trimmed
• 2 punnets black mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
• Olive oil, for roasting
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 250ml (1 cup) good quality dry white wine (optional)
• 250ml cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the asparagus spears and mushrooms in a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.

10 minutes before veggies are ready to come out of the oven, add a knob of butter to a saucepan and heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent. Pour in the wine and continue to cook for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced. Lower the heat, and add the cream, stirring over a low heat until the sauce reduces. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook the gnocchi in plenty of salted, boiling water - as soon as they float, remove them. Place the gnocchi in a bowl, and top with the roasted asparagus and mushrooms. Finish with a good helping of the creamy sauce.