Gnocchi with Pesto
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 2 lbs all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 lbs Idaho potatoes
- 2 eggs
- salt to taste
Pesto (makes 2 cups)
- 1 generous handful of fresh basil
- 8 oz pine nuts
- 1 cup grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
For Finishing Pesto on the Stove
- 1 tbsp butter
- splash of heavy cream
- about ¼ cup chicken stock
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
- a drizzle of olive oil on finished dish and sprig of fresh basil for plating
Special Equipment
- ricer
- food processor
How-to
Make the Dough
- Boil potatoes with skin on for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender
- Let potatoes cool slightly and peel them with a knife
- Make a bed of flour with about 1 lb of the flour
- Put each potato through a ricer over the bed of flour. Try to distribute the potato evenly over the flour
- Break the eggs over the potatoes and beat the eggs into the potatoes with a fork
- Remove the excess flour around your work area and blend together the dough with your hands. Get messy!
- Work together until the consistency is soft. You can always add flour if it's still too sticky. If it's too hard, add a little more potato.
- Cut a piece of the dough and begin to roll it out with your hands into a long, snake-like shape
- Cut into simple 1/2" simple, rustic pieces
- Add some flour to them after you cut them so they don't stick
Boil the Gnocchi
- Boil a pot of salted water
- Add gnocchi to the boiling water
- As soon as the gnocchi rises to the top of the pot, they are done (about 40 seconds or so)
Make the Pesto
- Add basil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, salt & pepper to a food processor
- Process the mixture and slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Stop when it's fairly thick if you want to finish in a sauté pan like Andrea does
Finish the Pesto on the Stove
- Heat a saute pan on the stove
- Add 1 large spoonful of pesto and a tablespoon of butter
- Add a splash of cream and about 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the pan
- Season with salt & pepper
- Pour the cooked gnocchi in the sauce. Cook for about 20-40 seconds
Plate and Serve
- Put your gnocchi on a large plate for family style or on smaller plates for individual portions
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil
- Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil