Gnocchi with fresh pesto Recipe

How to make it

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• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes until a metal skewer slides easily through them, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size.
• Hold potato with a pot holder or kitchen towel and peel it with a vegetable peeler or paring knife; rice, mash, or grind peeled potatoes into a large bowl. Cool until potatoes are no longer hot, about 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle 1 1/4 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt over warm potatoes. Using your hands, work mixture into a soft, smooth dough. If dough is sticky (which is often the case), add more flour as needed, up to 1 1/2 cups total.
• Roll about one-quarter of dough into a long 3/4-inch-thick rope. If rope won’t hold together, return it to bowl with remaining dough and work in more flour as needed. Repeat until all dough is rolled.
• Cut rope of dough into 3/4-inch lengths. Holding butter paddle or bench scraper in one hand, press the flat side of the dumpling against the flat surface and use your thumb to flatten into a round with an imprint. Alternatively, hold a fork in one hand and press each piece of cut dough against ridged surface with index finger to make an indentation in center. Roll dough down and off ridges and allow it to drop to work surface. (Gnocchi can be placed in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerated for several hours. Or, baking sheet can be placed in freezer for about 1 hour. Partially frozen gnocchi can be transferred to plastic bag or container, sealed, and frozen for up to 1 month.)
• To make the pesto, place basil, garlic, and pine nuts in workbowl of food processor. Process, scraping down sides as needed, until minced. With motor still running, slowly pour oil through feed tube and process until smooth. Scrape pesto into bowl. Stir in cheese to taste.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to low boil in large pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt or to taste. Add about one-third of the gnocchi and cook (don't boil them!) until they float, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (about 3 minutes for frozen gnocchi). Retrieve gnocchi with slotted spoon and transfer to warm, shallow serving bowl or platter. Repeat cooking process with remaining gnocchi. Gently toss gnocchi with pesto and serve immediately.

The gnocchi dough in an artsy coil after rolling -- I'm so playing with my food!   Close

The gnocchi dough is divided before rolling   Close

The gnocchi dumplings are shaped before cooking   Close

Sauced with freshly made basil pesto and garnished with parmesean, the gnocchi are ready to eat!   Close