Here is the recipe
Gnocchi
- 200 gr. (about a good 1-3/4 C) Flour
- 500 gr. (2-1/4 C) Potatoes (I used red potatoes as they should stay somewhat firm when cooking)
- Salt
- 50 gr. (3-1/2 Tbl.) Earth Balance melted
- Peel potatoes and boil in salt water until done
- Pour flour into a bowl
- Push potatoes through ricer onto the flour
- add Salt
- add melted Earth Balance
- Put everything gently together (I use a scraper) until it becomes a firm dough - this process should take about 5-6 minutes; very gently knead dough
- Divide dough into four equal parts
- Form, and shape each one into a long skinny roll with about 1/2 inch (1 cm)in diameter
- Cut each roll into equal gnocchi, each about 1 inch, or longer (2.5 cm)
- Bring water with salt to a boil
- Add the entire Gnocchi batch at once to the boiling water
- turn down heat to a simmer
- Cook for about another minute once they float to the surface
- Take out of the water
You can serve Gnocchi just with garlic & olive oil, crispy fried sage leaves, tomato sauce, etc. Since I had a bunch of basil, I made Pesto...
PESTO
- Bunch of basil (leaves only) - about 2 packed cups
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/3 Cup of pine nuts, or walnuts
- 1/2 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup of Parmesiano Regiano (optional - if you use, pls be sure that it is the imported version - FYI - Grana Parmsiano is not aged as long)
- Put garlic in food processor and pulse until finely chopped
- Add basil leaves and pulse
- Add pine nuts and pulse (if you use walnuts, then process them before the basil)
- Add Olive Oil and pulse
- If you do not add the cheese it is done and delicious - you may want to add salt
- Add Parmesiano and pulse (no additional salt is needed)
FYI - I did not have any nuts in the house and the pesto still turned out great.
Please let me know if you like it...Happy eating :)