Scratch-made Potato Gnocchi with Kale Pesto

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the blog and let me say, it’s really good to be back! Since I last posted, the global pandemic (AKA COVID-19) has become the center of attention in most of our lives. Thanks to Corona, I was forced to leave beloved Copenhagen and am now back at home with my family. Fortunately, we have all been healthy and though the extra time has definitely proven to be a challenge, it has given me the opportunity to update the blog and do lots of cooking and writing!

Like a lot of families I’m sure, we’ve been having trouble getting certain ingredients at the grocery store with everything going on. Though the title of this recipe is above, the real name for it should probably be “Surplus potato gnocchi and kale pesto with other veggies that are randomly in your fridge.” Not as catchy though…

Despite the quarantine, our CSA farm share at Siena Farms has remained open and we’ve been getting tons of seasonal produce and products each week. One thing that never fails in our weekly box has been potatoes, and thus, the idea of homemade gnocchi was born! I have always loved a big ol’ bowl gnocchi but haven’t actually made it myself in several years so I had to do some research to find a good recipe. Food & Wine provided! And every sane person knows that pasta-y dishes need a great sauce to swim in. I originally wanted to make a brown butter sage sauce, but we had no sage. Then I moved over to a normal Genovese pesto, but alas, no basil. Thankfully, my lovely sister remembered BA’s Kale Pesto, a recipe we had already discussed making. With lots of fresh kale and some other random herby things, we were ready to go!

Start by throwing lots of potatoes in a 400 degree oven for about an hour until they are tender and scoop-able. The recipe calls for 2 pounds, which is normally 4 potatoes, but because we had so many from the farm share I doubled the recipe and threw 8 small-medium sized potatoes in. While the potatoes are cooking, make the pesto! Start by boiling a pot of water and blanching your prepped kale for about 30 seconds. While that cools, throw your oil, nuts, garlic and water into a blender and pulse until smooth.

*Now would be a good time for me to talk about the substitutions/additions I made (because there were many). Unfortunately all the pistachios had been eaten in my house, so I used almonds, which were blanched and peeled so that the skins wouldn’t throw off the texture. Bless my sister’s soul for helping me peel each individual almond. I wouldn’t recommend this substitution if you’re on a time crunch. Besides almonds, instead of garlic, I used a large handful of fresh chives and garlic scapes that we got in our latest CSA box, which added a more subtle flavor than the sharpness of raw garlic. Finally, I also threw in a big bunch of parsley, just because I felt like it.*

Okay back to the recipe! Once your kale has cooled, wring out excess water and add it into the blender with parm and freshly cracked pepper. The consistency was thick, so I alternated with oil and water until the pesto was smooth but still had some body to it. Season to taste and focus on the gnocchi again. Once out of the oven and slightly cooled, halve the potatoes and scoop the flesh into a ricer. Add egg, salt and flour, then combine until a sticky stiff dough forms. On a floured surface, cut the dough into quarters and roll each ball out into long logs. The recipe says the logs should be 3/4 of an inch but you can easily eyeball it. Get your pot of water going and then cut each log into bite sized pieces. Next, roll each piece onto a fork to add texture (this step is not entirely necessary and was slightly challenging with the stickier pieces of dough). When your water is boiling, throw in the gnocchi until they rise, wait an additional two minutes or so and drain. Save a cup of pasta water for combining the sauce.In a cast iron skillet, heat oil and add the gnocchi to crisp them up. Throw a few spoonfuls of pesto into a large bowl with a bit of pasta water, then add the gnocchi and combine, adding more pesto if desired. Grate extra parm on top and enjoy! Maybe with a glass of wine too (just me?)

Now I know what you’re thinking… that sounds like a lot of work for some potato pillows and vibrant green pesto. And you’re right. This recipe was pretty labor intensive and I’m lucky I had a few helping hands to keep me sane. But then again, we’re all in quarantine so what else is there to do? Plus, there’s something extremely therapeutic about rolling out dough, a relaxing feeling that I’ll welcome any day during a time that is otherwise filled with a lot of anxiety and discomfort. And don’t get me started on how this tasted. The bright pesto balanced out the softness from the potato, and the addition of kale as the star of the show added a bitterness to the rich dish. Though garlic scapes and chives aren’t a typical staple in most people’s houses, if you have the chance to add them, I highly recommend it in place of sharp raw garlic. Other things in your fridge that you want to use up? Spinach, herbs, shallots or other nuts would make great substitutions too! Everyone’s living in a pretty strange time, we may as well be making yummy meals and destress in the best ways we know how.

Up next on my menu? Pecan sticky buns! Stay tuned…