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Crispy golden-brown air-fried gnocchi on a shallow ceramic plate with a swoosh of bright green lemon-pea cashew cream, topped with glossy miso-glazed charred mushrooms and wilted spinach, styled on a neutral stone background with a fork and folded napkin.
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Gnocchi with Miso Mushrooms & Lemon-Pea “Ricotta”

Push your air fryer to its limits with this bold fusion experiment, featuring ultra-crispy gnocchi, sticky miso-glazed mushrooms, and a vibrant lemon-pea cream. It’s a complex, plant-based adventure that brings serious crunch and deep umami flavors to the table.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian-Japanese Fusion
Diet Vegan
Keyword Air-fryer, Gnocchi
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 623kcal
Author GPT-5.2 Thinking

Equipment

  • Microwave with convection/air-fryer + grill functions (and a microwave-safe/grill-safe dish) (regular pans and pots, or an air-fryer, work as alternatives)
  • Blender or immersion blender
  • Cutting board + knife
  • mixing bowl
  • Kitchen scale + measuring cup/spoons

Ingredients

  • 600 g fresh potato gnocchi store-bought, refrigerated
  • 400 g mushrooms brown champignons or mixed, wiped clean and thick-sliced
  • 300 g frozen peas
  • 150 g baby spinach
  • 60 g cashews
  • 1 lemon zest + juice
  • 2 garlic cloves 1 for the pea cream, 1 for mushrooms, finely grated or minced
  • 30 g white miso paste
  • 20 g soy sauce
  • 15 g maple syrup or other mild syrup
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika powder
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast optional but highly recommended
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Black pepper, chili flakes and salt (to taste)

Instructions

Prep the cashews:

  • Cover cashews with hot water in a bowl and soak 10 minutes (do this first so it happens while you prep).

Chop and set up:

  • Slice mushrooms into chunky slices (so they don’t shrink into nothing).
  • Mince/grate 2 garlic cloves and keep them separated (1 for peas, 1 for mushrooms).
  • Zest the lemon, then juice it.

Make the lemon-pea “ricotta” (microwave + blend):

  • Microwave peas with 2 tbsp water in a covered microwave-safe bowl until hot (about 3–4 minutes), then drain well.
  • Drain cashews. Blend peas + cashews + 1 garlic clove + lemon zest + 2–3 tbsp lemon juice + nutritional yeast + black pepper + a pinch of salt.
  • Add 2–6 tbsp water (little by little) until it becomes creamy, spoonable, and bright. Taste and adjust with more lemon, salt, or pepper.

Crisp the gnocchi (air fryer / convection-oven mode):

  • Toss gnocchi with 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
  • Air-fry at 200°C for 12–14 minutes, shaking/stirring halfway, until deeply golden and blistered.

Glaze and char the mushrooms (grill or combo):

  • Stir miso + soy sauce + maple syrup + vinegar + smoked paprika + 1 minced garlic clove + 1 tbsp water into a loose glaze.
  • Toss mushrooms with the glaze (and a tiny drizzle of oil only if your mushrooms are very lean/dry).
  • Spread in a microwave/grill-safe dish and cook using a microwave+grill combination program (or grill + convection) until browned and sticky, about 8–10 minutes. Stir once midway to coat evenly.

Wilt the spinach fast (microwave):

  • Microwave spinach 60–90 seconds until just wilted. Toss with a squeeze of lemon and black pepper.

Assemble:

  • Spoon a generous swoosh of lemon-pea “ricotta” onto each plate.
  • Pile on crispy gnocchi, then the smoky miso mushrooms, then the spinach.
  • Finish with chili flakes and extra lemon juice if you like it punchy.

Notes

Serving suggestions:
  • Add a crunchy topper: chopped roasted hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds (if available) for extra texture.
  • Side idea (still low effort): a simple cucumber salad with lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
For an easy alcoholic match, pour a lightly chilled Pinot Noir: its earthy, savory character is a classic fit with mushrooms, and it won’t bully the gnocchi or the miso glaze. For an alcohol-free option, go simple with sparkling water plus a squeeze of lemon or grapefruit and a few bruised thyme leaves—the bubbles and citrus lift the dish’s rich umami and keep the whole plate feeling fresh.
 
Allergens:
  • Cereals containing gluten (typically wheat in store-bought gnocchi)
  • Soybeans (miso paste and soy sauce)
  • Nuts (tree nuts: cashews)
 
Emission Hotspots:
  • Cashew nuts carry a relatively high footprint per kilo, but at just ~60 g their absolute impact on the whole recipe remains modest
  • Shop to home transportation, if a combustion car is used
 
Sustainability tips:
  • Store mushrooms unwashed in a paper bag (or other breathable container) in the fridge to keep them from getting slimy, so you actually use them before they spoil.
  • Swap the cashews for EU-grown sunflower seeds (same creamy effect when blended, often lower-impact and more regional than imported nuts) to push the footprint down without changing the dish’s structure.
  • When possible, cook at lower-carbon electricity times (e.g., when the grid is greener, see electricitymaps for real-time data), because the cooking footprint varies a lot with your local electricity mix and timing.
  • Store leftovers in airtight containers and reheat for lunch the next day—using a microwave for quick, low‑energy reheating.
  • Compost your vegetable trimmings, turning them into nutrient-rich soil instead of landfill waste.
  • Walk or bike to the supermarket and farmer's market to cut transportation emissions
  • Make your guinea pigs 🐹 happy by giving them remaining raw spinach as a treat