1 batch cooked gnocchi, approximately 2 cups-see recipe below for my homemade vegan friendly version or use store bought
1 batch, approximately 1 cup spinach pesto, (use your favorite homemade or storebought version or see my recipe for vegan friendly spinach pesto below
Ingredients:
- 1 Bunch Asparagus
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup fresh English peas
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil for pan
Snap tough ends off asparagus stems while heating a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Cut asparagus stems into small pieces and add to pan, sautéing for about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and stir, then add sliced mushrooms and peas and drizzle in a little more olive oil if needed. Sprinkle on a little more salt and pepper after mushrooms have a chance to brown slightly. Cook a few minutes until veggies are tender.
Toss with cooked gnocchi and 1-2 to 1 cup pesto depending on how sauced you like it. Sprinkle in chopped hardboiled egg and sliced prosciutto if using, and serve!
- 2 pounds (about 4) baking potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg white or omit to keep it vegan-(You can add a couple tbsp of water in place of the egg to moisten the potato mixture to help it combine better with the flour if the mixture seems a bit dry)
- 1 to 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or flour substitute (You can also substitute GF flour if you want to make this gluten free. You may need to add more or less depending on the size of your potatoes.)
- Couple tbsp chopped fresh herbs of choice
Directions:
- Prick potatoes with a fork and bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 1 hour.
- While potatoes are still warm slice in half and scoop flesh into a potato ricer, then press though into a bowl. (Potato Ricers are perfect for this because they create a super light feathery texture with the potato filling without any clumps. If you don’t have a ricer you can use a box grater by peeling each potato half and grating against the holes, just make sure not to allow any clumps of potato pass through or it will break apart portions of your dough.) Add salt, baking powder, egg white (if using) and herbs to the riced potatoes. Add the flour a little at a time and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a rough dough. Do not over-work the dough or it will become too dense. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured piece of wax or parchment paper or use a cutting board. Gently knead the dough for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth, adding a little bit more flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking.
- Break off a piece of the dough and roll it back and forth into a rope, about the thickness of your finger. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece down the floured surface while pressing lightly with the tines of a fork. The gnocchi should be slightly curved and marked with ridges. This will allow the gnocchi to hold sauce better when served.
- Boil the gnocchi in batches of boiling salted water. The gnocchi are done in about 1-2 minutes, after they float to the surface. If the gnocchi start to break apart in boiling water, you need more flour. If the gnocchi don’t float after 2 minutes and are hard, you used too much flour.
- Remove cooked gnocchis with a slotted spoon, and repeat until all gnocchis are cooked. If not cooking immediately, place the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to overnight. After that time the dough will start to oxidize and turn gray. To avoid this place the gnocchi in a single layer in freezer bags until ready to use.
Spinach Pesto for Spring Gnocchi Salad:
- 1 bunch fresh basil, approximately 1 cup packed
- 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil plus more if needed to thin pesto
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp or a few grinds of black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese or substitute a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast to keep it vegan.
- Kosher salt & pepper
Directions:
- Toast pine nuts or almonds in a 350 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes until golden, checking them to make sure they don’t burn. Remove and let cool while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
- Place basil, spinach, garlic, toasted nuts, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times until ingredients are combined and chopped fine. Remove lid to scrape bowl and replace lid. With machine running drizzle in oil gradually until mixture combines and appears sauce-like. Remove lid, add parmesan or nutritional yeast and stir again to incorporate. Taste for seasoning and add additional and pepper if needed. If mixture is too thick, stir in a little additional olive oil and serve!
- (If not using right away place in a container and cover top of the pesto in a layer of olive oil to help minimize oxidizing. Can be stored in the fridge for two or three days. (Will keep for months on the freezer!) When ready to use remove from the fridge and allow it to come to room temp and stir to return to sauce like consistency.)
Enjoy this recipe or have questions? Feel free to leave a comment!
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