Friday, January 2, 2009

29 September 2008: gnocchi with pesto



Gnocchi with fresh pesto is a fun dish with which to show off. We lack a food processor, so the pesto — basil, parsley, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, parmesan cheese — is chopped, mashed, grated, and mixed by hand. The best gnocchi is made with leftovers, but we rarely make much extra; it's easy enough to bring a pot of lightly-salted water or (soy) milk to a boil, remove from heat, and whisk in corn meal. Let this sit five or ten minutes, then add an egg or two and roll into balls on a floured surface (get the dinner guests to help). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the gnocchi one-by-one (singular of "gnocchi" is "gnocco", both pronounced with a hard "k"). The gnocchi will float within a few minutes, and are done when they do; drain and toss with the pesto.

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