Potato Gnocchi Recipe with Basil Pesto

Gnocchi is one of my favorite pasta recipes. It is easy to make and does not require any pasta machine to roll it out. It can be made when you are in the mood for something different. Another big advantage of making Potato Gnocchi recipe is that you can pair it with any type of sauce. This week I had Basil lying around in the fridge. But you have tomatoes, that is fine too. Just whip up some fresh creamy tomato sauce with a dash of vodka and you have a wonderful dish ready in hours.

Making fresh pasta is a multi-step process and you will need to have some patience making it. Although it isn’t difficult, it will take time. So this one may not be the right fit for a weeknight dinner. But if want to just relax on a weekend, get some Gnocchi ready and you can chomp on it through the weekend and enjoy some binge TV watching.

Potato Gnocchi Ingredients

The dry Basil in the dough is optional. I you do not have the basil on hand

• 3 Cups Potato, boiled and riced/finely mashed
• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Dry Basil
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 6 Cups water

How to Make Potato Gnocchi

Make sure you put the boiled potatoes through a potato ricer to make a smooth mash. You can do it with a fork too, but ensure that there are no lumps.

1. Beat the egg and add all the dry ingredients to the egg
2. Mix in the flour, egg mixture, and potato to form a slightly sticky dough
3. Bring the water to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt to the boiling water
4. Make six parts of the dough and roll them into thick ropes
5. Cut the dough ropes into half inch parts and roll them with the back of a for for ridges
6. Add the Gnocchi in the boiling water in batches and wait till they bubble up
7. Take them out of the water and set them aside.

Basil Almond Pesto Ingredients

You can always use some other nuts if almonds are not available, sunflower seeds or pine nuts will work here too.

• 2 Cups Basil
• 10-12 Almonds, lightly Roasted
• 4-6 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, freshly crushed
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

How to Make Basil Almond Pesto

Making a pesto is very easy when you have all the ingredients ready. You can also use the pesto later as a spread for sandwiches. If you have some Mozzarella cheese, a Caprese Sandwich is the best way to make use of some Basil Pesto.

• Put all the ingredients in a food processor and give it a spin until all the leaves and stock gets chopped and the oil emulsifies a bit.

Potato Gnocchi in Basil Pesto

Now that you have both the parts of this flavorful dish ready, there is just one thing to do before you can enjoy your Potato Gnocchi in Basil Pesto.

1. In a non-stick Pan slightly heat the two spoonfuls of your basil pesto and toss the Gnocchi so that the pesto coats the gnocchi.
2. Serve in a Pasta plate, with grated Parmesan

Do share your experiences with making fresh Pasta and what’s your favorite kind. You might also like our,

• Vegan White Bean Pasta
• Spaghetti Carbonara
• Roasted Pumpkin Bolognese Pasta