This plate of Gnocchi With Thai Pesto was apart of my submission to IL Desco’s Italian Dinner Competition.
The competition post is here.
Winter is coming. My garden, although once vibrant green, is now taking on a more…brown and black color. Not pretty. The bugs that once took delight in eating my plants have taken their free loading selves elsewhere. I needed to do something before they wilted into nothingness. I needed to make pesto. A lot of pesto. If my herb garden was gonna go out…they where going to go out in a blaze of glory!
As for the gnocchi part of the dish. I needed a way to deliver the pesto into your mouth that wouldn’t take away from the freshness of the herbs. Enter the pillow like texture of the gnocchi.
Both Gnocchi and Pesto are Italian. Mine is Thai. Few reasons for this.
- My normal basil plant had fell ill and passed away from the unrelenting cold. Thai basil was still alive though.
- I had to make this dish match the theme of my competition dinner. Which was “Italian Inspired” but “Thai Executed.”
- I’m dating a Thai woman and have since lost all free will to make my own decisions (JK…but not really).
Let me explain the two components to this dish.
- Gnocchi: An Italian pasta that is made from potatoes, flour and eggs. Super light with mini crevasse that hold the accompanying flavors.
- Pesto: An Italian sauce that traditionally consists of grounded basil, garlic and pine nuts that is then blended with Parmesan and olive oil.
For my recipe, I stayed true to the gnocchi but gave the pesto a Thai flavor profile by changing just about…everything. After that, I just mixed them together and Ta-Da! Gnocchi With Thai Pesto! Oh ma Gawd…So freakin good!
Ok, now here is where I’m going to be upfront with you guys. The pesto was easy to make. You put everything in a food processor. Turn it on. Done. The gnocchi however…not so much. It wasn’t hard but did take a little bit of time. Delicious but again…took some time. I have never bought the pre-made ones from the super market but if you have and are ok with it then I say go for it. However, if it is not fluffy and doesn’t almost melt in your mouth…then you need to make this. Or, just make the pesto and slap it on anything you please!
- 1 lb Russet Potatoes Cooked and peeled, see notes
- 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour Plus more for dusting, see notes
- 1 large Egg Beaten
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Boiling Salted Water
- 3 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 tsp Ginger Minced
- 1.5 oz Roasted Cashews
- 1.5 oz Roasted Peanuts
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Fish Sauce
- 1 cup Cilantro Packed
- 1 cup Thai Basil Packed
- 4 oz Peanut Oil Sub with any neutral oil.
- Fresh Lime Juice To taste, I used 1/2 a lime
- Salt To taste
- Mince the garlic and ginger.
- Throw all the ingredients into a food processor.
- Then blend. Add more oil until the pesto is at your desired consistency. Add the lime juice and salt to taste.
- Cook and peal potatoes. See notes.
- Put your potatoes through a potato ricer. If you don't own one then press them through a sieve...It works great!
- Add the beaten egg and mix until you get a solid mass.
- Add the flour a little bit at a time and knead until you have a solid mass. It should take no more than 5 minutes. Don't overdo it or your gnocchi will be tough.
- Cut the dough into four even pieces and roll them out into 1/2 inch logs.
- Then cut these logs into 3/4th inch pieces
- Make that signature gnocchi look by pressing the dough and dragging it against the back of a fork.
- In a pot of boiling water, cook the gnocchi until it floats and then another minute after that (5-7 minutes total). Drain. Be careful to not overcrowd the pot.
- In a large bowl, carefully mix the pesto in with the gnocchi.
- If you want to save the gnocchi for another use: spread them out on parchment paper (I used aluminum) and freeze. When they have frozen, you can then transfer them into a bag.
To cook the potatoes: depending on the size, you can boil for 30-40 minutes or bake at 425F for 45-60 minutes. Until fork tender.
After peeling the potatoes, I used exactly 1lb. The flour needed may change depending on how much you are using.
For the flour, use semolina if you can get it. I couldn't find any and found AP flour to work fine.
I watched Byron Talbott's video for instructions and gnocchi recipe.
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