theveganpea

My Little Peas will know that I am a Gnocchi addict – and once you add pesto it becomes my heaven on a plate.

Preparation time: 3 hours (including cooking time)

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 large baking potatoes
• Gluten-free plain white flour (I love Doves Farm’s one)
• 6 sprigs of fresh oregano
• 180g Basil
• 100g Pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 birdseye chilli
• 1 lemon juiced
• Salt
• Pepper (at discretion – I love pepper so use 8 turns of the mill in the potatoes!)
• Kalamata olive oil

Method:

1. Bake potatoes in their skin for 1h 30mins at 250 degrees Celsius
2. Make the pesto sauce:
   • Toast the pine nuts in a pan
   • Add the toasted pine nuts to the basil, garlic, chilli, olive oil (approx. 7 table spoons), lemon juice, salt and pepper and pulse in a food processor (taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly)
   • Store covered in oil to prevent colour discolouration
   • Heat in a pan on low heat (high heat will cause the oil to split)
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and peel the skin off
4. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes, with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil, oregano, pepper and a pinch of salt, into a really smooth mash
5. Once the potatoes are smooth add a bit more salt so it tastes a bit over salted (it will balance out when you add the flour)
6. Add gluten free flour to the potato mash (add it tablespoon per time as you want to add just enough for the mixture to bind to be shaped. Mix by hand!
7. Shape your gnocchi (roll into a few sausages and then chop)
8. Add into pre-boiling water with a pinch of salt and olive oil
9. Boil them until they float and then add to your Pesto sauce and toss until warmed through
10. Add one tablespoon of the boiling water to the pesto and stir through
11. Enjoy my Little Peas!