Bumper Crop of Basil: Gnocchi & Tomato Pesto

"Nothing significant exist under Italy's sun that is not touched by art. Its food is twice blessed because it is the product of two arts, the art of cooking and the art of eating. While each nourishes the other, they are in no way identical accomplishments. The art of cooking produces the dishes, but it is the art of eating that transforms them into a meal." ~~The Classic Italian Cook Book by Marcella Hazan

Having Italian heritage from my Dad's family and being surrounded by family that loves to cook, it was next to impossible to not fall in love with the arts of Italian cooking and eating. Most of the recipes I was exposed to were steeped in the flavors of southern Italy,  since my Grandpa Emil's family were immigrants from Amaseno, a town in the province of Frosinone in the Italian region of Lazio, located about 65 miles southeast of Rome. 

A view of Amaseno

Although I learned many dishes from my Dad and his sisters, many of which were prime examples of peasant cooking, I wasn't satisfied with such a limited repertoire. I have spent countless hours reading Italian cookbooks, asking Italians from different regions to teach me their regional cuisines, and experimenting in my own kitchen in order to hone my skills and learn as much as possible about the food of Italy. And anyone who knows me, can attest to the fact that I love to cook for people, and I love to watch people eat! From my family I learned to perfect meat sauce, simmer a perfect bagna caoda, create a lasagna or a pan of manicotti, make Italian sausage, bake bread, and put together a plethora of recipes that we have vowed not to share with anyone. I have taught myself the art of handmade pasta (including ravioli, tortellini, and gnocchi); the craft of cannoli making; the perfection that is tiramisu; a variety of sauces; freezing granita; as well as braising, roasting, grilling, and frying a variety of meats. The problem--or maybe it's not a problem at all--is that I feel like I never know enough. I'm lucky my immediate family is willing to be taste testers for all of my kitchen adventures!

Coliseum - Rome - 2008

While teaching high school English, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy twice with groups of high school students. Anyone who has traveled with high school students knows that I did not have time to truly explore the regional food, and it is my ardent wish to travel to Italy again, on my own, in order to immerse myself in all that is Italian cooking and eating. Until then, I will continue to explore on my own, which includes growing herbs and produce in order to create the freshest Italian meals possible. Buon Appetito!!

Gnocchi with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

I picked a large bowl full of basil from my herb garden today, which means it is a perfect time to make homemade pesto. Because I didn't have pine nuts on hand (I know! A huge blunder in an Italian kitchen!) I chose to make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto...a pesto my family loves. The Sun-Dried variety is very fresh tasting, adding a layer of flavor to the pesto that you just don't get in regular pesto. And there is no better way to serve any pesto than on gnocchi.

Gnocchi are beautiful, little potato dumplings that serve as pasta in many Italian dishes.  They are easy to make. I usually make a very large batch in order to freeze them. I find it best to make the pesto first, setting it aside until it is time to heat it, which I usually do right before I boil the gnocchi.

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto you will need: 1 1/2 cup of tightly packed fresh basil leaves; half of an 8.5 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil; 3 cloves of garlic; salt and pepper to taste; extra olive oil during heating; and 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese to finish. 

 In a food processor with the chopping blade, place the basil, 1/2 jar of sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic cloves. Pour a bit of the oil from the tomato jar into the processor bowl as well.

Run the processor for about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the bowl, add about a tablespoon of olive oil and run again. Repeat this process one more time. At this point, you can place the pesto in a bowl and set it aside until it is time to heat. When you are ready to heat the pesto, place it in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. 

The pesto will be quite thick at this point.  Once the "paste" heats up a bit, stir in enough olive oil to thin the pesto.  Be careful not to thin it too much. I usually eye-ball it by seeing if after I stir the pesto there is a small pool of oil on top.

As the pesto bubbles slightly, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parmesan cheese.  Turn the burner to a very low simmer, keeping the pesto warm until the gnocchi are ready.

Gnocchi

To make gnocchi, you will need the following: 8 medium sized Idaho potatoes, boiled with the skins on; 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour and extra for dusting; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 1 beaten egg; a potato ricer.

It is really important to not use overly waxy potatoes for gnocchi. The starchier the better.  I have had great success with Idaho potatoes. Also, it is imperative to boil the potatoes with the skins on the potatoes. This helps prevent the potatoes from taking on too much water. Avoid pricking the potatoes too much to check for doneness.

While the potatoes are warm, peel them.  I hold the potato in a towel to do this so as not to burn my hands. As each potato is peeled, put it through the ricer, catching the riced potato in a very large bowl.

Once you have riced all of the potatoes, you should have a bowl of potatoes that looks like this:

 At this point, add 3 1/2 cups of flour, the melted butter, and the beaten egg to the bowl.  I find it easiest to mix the dough with my hands. You want the dough to be slightly firm and a bit sticky, but not too sticky.  If you need to add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, do so. 

Once the dough is mixed thoroughly, grab a handful at a time and roll it out with your hands into a long cylinder, about the diameter of your finger or thumb.

Using a very sharp knife, cut the cylinder into 1 inch pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with a bit of flour. Now it is time to shape the gnocchi.  Everyone shapes their gnocchi a little differently, but traditionally, Italian gnocchi have ridges on one side and a dimple on the other.  I use a fork placed upside down on the counter to create the ridges and dimple.

Place a slice of gnocchi on the back of the fork.

Push down on the gnocchi with your finger, rolling it slightly from side to side.  This will create the ridge side of the gnocchi.

Slightly roll up the long sides of the gnocchi to create the dimple.

 Pull the gnocchi gently off of the fork. 

 The ridge side.

 The dimple side.  This side collects sauce!!

 A pan of finished gnocchi.  I sprinkle them with a bit of flour. The recipe above makes about 8 servings of gnocchi.  For the meal I served, I cooked half of the gnocchi and froze the other half in a freezer bag.  Before you freeze them in the bag, place them on a tray in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then place them in the bag.  This will help keep them from becoming a big clumped mess in the bag.

To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to the pot before adding the gnocchi. Place the gnocchi in the boiling water and stir gently.

When the gnocchi float to the top, cook them for another 20 to 30 seconds.  I remove the gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon. Do not worry about draining them well.  You want a bit of cooking water to mix with the pesto sauce in order to get a good coat on the gnocchi.  Gently toss the gnocchi with the pesto.  Add a bit more cooking water if the sauce is still too thick.  Sprinkle with parmesan and serve!

Enjoy!