Potato gnocchi are one of the most well-known and appreciated recipes worldwide. However, our Potato Gnocchi with Pesto are unique because they are of Genoese tradition. The secrets to making them perfect? First, the potatoes must be floury, old, and boiled in cold water with the skin on. Don’t use too much flour. Knead quickly and only a little. The potatoes should be mashed, kneaded warm, and once made, the gnocchi should rest for 10 minutes. It’s not difficult; here’s my recipe, and as they say, Thursday gnocchi!!!
Recipe of 10/14/2016 updated
If you like gnocchi, read my Gnocchi Recipe Collection
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 546.43 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 69.57 (g) of which sugars 4.24 (g)
- Proteins 20.10 (g)
- Fat 22.33 (g) of which saturated 1.16 (g)of which unsaturated 5.34 (g)
- Fibers 6.17 (g)
- Sodium 572.19 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 12 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs potatoes (dry and old)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg (powdered)
- 1/4 cup semolina flour (for dusting the work surface)
- 7 oz Genoese pesto (for ingredient quantities click the blue link)
- 2 oz pine nuts (toasted)
- 1.75 oz green beans (boiled)
Tools
The recipe contains IconA affiliate links
- Food scale
- Gnocchi board
- Potato ricer
- Pastry board
- Pot
- Slotted spoon
Steps
Boil the potatoes in plenty of cold water for about 30 minutes. Peel them while still hot and pass them through the potato ricer. Pour the sifted flour, salt, nutmeg, egg, warm mashed potatoes onto the pastry board and knead quickly, keeping the board dusted with a little semolina. Do not overwork the dough, or you might end up with hard gnocchi. Form a dough ball.
Divide the dough ball into 5 parts and roll each into a sausage as thick as your thumb, then cut into small cylinders of 3/4 inch. With a floured thumb, drag them on the gnocchi board (a grater or the tines of a fork can be used if you don’t have one). Place them on a board dusted with semolina as you go along. With these ingredients, you get 24 oz of raw gnocchi.
While making, to keep the pesto light, keep the mixing glass submerged up to halfway in a bowl of ice water. Pour the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts into the immersion blender glass and blend for a minute. Add the basil little by little and blend in intervals to avoid heating the blades. Add the cheeses, salt, and mix with a spoon. Click HERE to read the recipe made with a mortar.
Bring water to a boil in a wide and low saucepan and once boiling, salt it and drop a few gnocchi at a time without stirring too much. They are cooked as soon as they rise to the surface. Drain them with a slotted spoon (do not use a colander) and dress with Genoese pesto, adding the boiled green beans and toasted pine nuts. Mix and serve.
Tips
If they turned out well… congratulations! Are they too hard? Maybe you used too much flour. Are they soft and sticky? Blame the new and watery quality of potatoes, but don’t be discouraged, take notes and try making them again, perseverance pays off!
