Potato Gnocchi with Basil Pesto
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
This follows the same potato gnocchi method as our classic recipe, finished instead with a hand-pounded basil, pine nut and Parmesan pesto stirred through off the heat.
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Method
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Equipment
- baking tray
- potato ricer or food mill
- bench scraper
- fine sieve
- 2 baking trays dusted with flour or semolina
- large pot (at least 5 litres)
- slotted spoon or spider strainer
- large frying pan (28 cm)
- mortar and pestle or small food processor
- small dry frying pan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 612 kcal |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Carbohydrate | 67.5 g |
| of which sugars | 2.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 32.2 g |
| of which saturates | 6.2 g |
| Fibre | 5.8 g |
| Salt | 1.74 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Gnocchi
- 1 kg floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper, King Edward or russet), scrubbed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 140 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting you may need 10-20 g less or more
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
Pesto
- 60 g basil leaves
- 25 g pine nuts
- 1 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 25 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 15 g pecorino, finely grated
- 100 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta water
- 40 g fine salt for 4 litres of pasta water (1%) about 6¾ tsp; most of it goes down the drain
To serve
- 15 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 1
Toast the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, until they turn pale gold, then tip them out to cool.
- 2
Pound the pesto base. Pound the garlic with a pinch of coarse salt in a mortar until it forms a paste, then add the cooled pine nuts and pound again until roughly broken down. Add the basil a handful at a time, grinding it against the sides of the mortar rather than cutting it, since bruising the leaves this way releases their oils without the heat of a blade darkening them.
- 3
Finish the pesto. Stir in the Parmesan and pecorino, then pour in the olive oil in a thin stream, stirring until the pesto turns creamy. If using a food processor instead, pulse rather than running it continuously, and add the oil last. Press a layer of cling film onto the surface to stop it discolouring while you make the gnocchi.
- 4
Bake the potatoes. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) for at least 20 minutes, prick the potatoes and bake them straight on the rack for 50-60 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Baking rather than boiling keeps the potato dry, which keeps the gnocchi light.
- 5
Rice the potatoes. Halve the potatoes while they are still hot and push the flesh through a ricer onto the worktop in a thin layer; leave it for 5 minutes to steam off some moisture while it is still warm.
- 6
Bring the dough together. Sprinkle over the salt and egg yolk, sieve over two-thirds of the flour and cut it in with a bench scraper, then gather and fold-press 4-5 times, adding the remaining flour only until the dough just holds together and feels barely tacky. Avoid kneading or smearing it, since this would overwork the gluten and make the gnocchi tough.
- 7
Test and shape. Boil a single piece to test it, adding 1-2 tbsp more flour if it falls apart. Cut the dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a 2cm rope and cut into 2cm lengths, then roll each down a fork or gnocchi board to leave ridges and lay them on floured trays without touching.
- 8
Cook until they float. Cook the gnocchi in 2 batches in 4 litres of rapidly boiling water seasoned with the 40g of salt. They're ready when they float, after about 2 minutes, then give them 30 seconds more before lifting them into a warm bowl with a slotted spoon, keeping a mug of the cooking water.
- 9
Fold through the pesto. Loosen the pesto in the warm bowl with 3-4 tbsp of the cooking water, off the heat, then add the gnocchi and fold gently until coated. Keeping the pan off the heat protects the pesto's bright colour and fresh flavour, since direct heat quickly dulls both. Serve with Parmesan.
Storage
Shaped, uncooked gnocchi freeze well on a floured tray for up to 2 months; the pesto keeps separately in the fridge, covered with a thin layer of oil, for up to 4 days. Reheat cooked gnocchi in a pan with a splash of water until piping hot, then fold the pesto through off the heat. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
