Gnocchi Con Pesto V Recipe

Bake or boil potatoes

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) if baking. Wash potatoes and pierce with a fork. Bake whole for 45–60 minutes until tender, or boil in salted water for 20–30 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Baking yields drier potatoes which make lighter gnocchi.

Rice the potatoes

While still hot but cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes. Pass them through a potato ricer or mash very finely (no lumps). Spread riced potato on a work surface to release steam for 5 minutes.

Form dough

Make a mound of riced potato with a well in the center. Add the egg yolk, 1 tsp salt, and pepper into the well. Sprinkle 1 3/4 cups of flour over the potato (reserve ~1/4 cup to adjust). Using a bench scraper or hands, gently incorporate until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork — stop when dough holds together but still slightly tacky. If dough is sticky, add remaining flour a tablespoon at a time.

Portion and shape

Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a rope about 1-inch (2.5 cm) diameter on a lightly floured surface (use semolina or extra flour to prevent sticking). Cut ropes into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll each piece over the tines of a fork or a gnocchi board to create ridges. Place formed gnocchi on a semolina-dusted tray in a single layer.

Cook gnocchi

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add gnocchi in batches so they have room to cook. When gnocchi float to the surface (about 1–2 minutes), let them cook 30–45 seconds more to ensure cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl; reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water for the sauce. Keep warm while preparing pesto and sauce.

Toast pine nuts

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts, stirring constantly, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Blend pesto

In a food processor, combine basil leaves, cooled pine nuts, grated parmesan, garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse to coarsely chop. With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture comes together into a glossy paste. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon as needed. If pesto is too thick, add 1–2 tbs of the reserved cooking water or additional olive oil to loosen.

Warm butter

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter until it is foaming and just beginning to brown lightly for a nuttier flavor (optional). Reduce heat to low.

Toss gnocchi with pesto

Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan with butter (or directly combine in a large bowl if you prefer). Spoon in 3–4 tbs of pesto per serving (adjust to taste) and 2–3 tbs of reserved gnocchi cooking water to help the sauce coat the gnocchi. Gently toss or stir for 1–2 minutes until everything is heated through and the pesto lightly coats each gnocchi. Add more cooking water a tablespoon at a time if needed to create a silky sauce.

Serve

Divide gnocchi among warm plates. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if desired, a sprinkle of extra grated parmesan, torn basil leaves for garnish, and an extra grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.