Creamy Lemony Gnocchi with Peas

I’m back on the half-marathon training grind. After conquering 13.1 miles for the first time last fall, I got a wee bit ambitious in January and signed up for two half-marathons two weeks apart. (I’m a nutbag, I know.) At the time, I thought “oh NBD, I’ve already done it once so doing two in a row will be no sweat.”

HA.

Much like last time, training has been muy difícil. The endless cold has led to both freeze-your-butt-off outdoor runs and countless miles on the dreaded treadmill. I’ve struggled with self-doubt and total lack of motivation, even asking my sister and friends to text me positive thoughts during my runs to keep me going. (Fact: I have the best support system, to indulge in my crazy every Saturday morning.) My “winter padding” also doesn’t make anything easier, especially since I had kind of stopped running since last October.

But now that I’m less than two weeks away from Half #1, we’ve entered my favorite part of training: the taper + carbo-loading. Tapering means I’m running fewer miles than at the peak of my training, so I no longer have to spend hours of my Saturday morning running up and down Central Park’s hills. And carbo-loading means bagels for breakfast, lots of beer and this creamy lemony gnocchi with peas.

The secret to this gnocchi is the sauce. It looks and tastes like a tangy alfredo but with none of the cream or butter. Instead, Greek yogurt and a bit of Parm provide a guilt-free richness that is brightened by lemon zest and juice. No cooking necessary — just toss it with the hot pasta and let its residual heat meld all of the flavors together.

While the recipe is already pretty simple, you could easily make it a one-bowl affair by mixing the sauce in the pasta pot once the gnocchi is drained. A relatively healthy, two-step / one-bowl recipe that makes a delicious plate of pasta? No wonder this part of training is my favorite. 

Creamy Lemony Gnocchi with Peas
Adapted from Power Hungry
Serves 4

– 1 pound pre-made gnocchi

– 1 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed if frozen)

– 3/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

– 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

– 1 tablespoon lemon zest

– juice of 1 lemon

– salt and pepper, to taste

– 1 tablespoon pasta water

1) In a large pot, cook the gnocchi according to package instructions. Four minutes before the gnocchi is done, add the peas. Once the gnocchi and peas are cooked, drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of pasta water. Set aside.

2) While the pasta is cooking, combine the yogurt, cheese, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Once the pasta is cooked, add the sauce to the pasta and stir to combine. If the mixture is very thick, add the pasta water. Once the sauce has coated the gnocchi, serve immediately.