Pesto might be my favorite pasta sauce, even over tomato sauce (gasp)! I love the taste of basil and the brightness of it. This is a lighter way of enjoying gnocchi in my opinion! This recipe does make quite a bit of pesto so you can use the leftover sauce for a different pasta later or bruschetta! It keeps in the fridge for a few days.
Ingredients:
- 140 g homemade or fresh store bought gnocchi per person
- 130 g young Basil leaves
- 8 g Salt
- 60 g Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino
- 350 g Olive Oil
- 20 g Pine Nuts (pumpkin seeds are a good alternative for nut allergies or you can leave this part out)
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- Optional: Cherry tomatoes
Process:
- In a pot, cook gnocchi in well salted, boiling water. Cook gnocchi until they float and drain. Reserve a cup of the pasta water for later in the recipe.
- To make the pesto using a mortar and pestle, the order in which you grind your ingredients is very important.
1. Garlic and salt
2. Pine Nuts
3. Basil
4. Parmigiano or Pecorino
5. Olive Oil
If you are using a food processor you can still follow these steps but make sure you don’t over process the basil.
3. Transfer sauce to a bowl with a splash of pasta water.
4. Add the cooked gnocchi and mix until pasta is coated in the sauce. Incorporating the pasta water will help the sauce stick to the gnocchi.
5. Toss in cherry tomatoes if desired and serve.