My family went skiing in Breckenridge between Christmas and New Year's this year. For a night in, my sister requested that I make gnocchi. In her mind, this meant store bought gnocchi and pesto and a quick and easy dinner. It never even crossed my mind to get store bought gnocchi or pesto, so homemade gnocchi it was. This dinner turned out great and the sauce is fantastic to dip Crostinis in.
Ingredients:
Gnocchi:
1 pound russet potatoes
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup shredded Sartori Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup flour, plus more for dusting board and dough
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pesto, homemade or store bought
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded Sartori Montamore
1/8 cup shredded Sartori Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large crown broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 red pepper, seeded, and cut into bit size pieces
1 chicken breast, grilled and cut into cubes
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Arrange the potatoes on top of a baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, until cooked through. Let potatoes sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh. Discard the potato skins.
3. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer, grate them on the large holes of a box grater, or blend in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups of shredded, cooked potato.
4. Make a mound of shredded potatoes on the counter or a large cutting board with a well in the middle. Add 3 of the egg yolks, the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes with hands, until an even consistency.
5. Sprinkle a 1/2 cup of flour over the potatoes and press it into the potatoes with your fingers. Fold the dough over on itself and press down again. Gradually sprinkle on more flour, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together. If the mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a little water.
6. Keeping your work surface and the dough lightly floured, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them.
7. As you shape the gnocchi, scatter them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Set gnocchi filled cookie sheet in front of a fan on low for 1/2 hour. If you will not cook the gnocchi until the next day or later, freeze them.
8. While the gnocchi is drying, start the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream, pesto, garlic salt, and pepper. Once warm, add shredded cheese and stir well. Let simmer for sauce to thicken while you cook the vegetables and gnocchi, about 10 minutes.
9. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Saute broccoli and red pepper for about 4 minutes. Add chicken to heat it though.
10. When ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop in the gnocchi and cook for about 2 minutes from the time they rise to the surface.
11. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer and shake off the excess water. Toss with grilled chicken, broccoli, red pepper, and pesto cream sauce.
Ingredients:
Gnocchi:
1 pound russet potatoes
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup shredded Sartori Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup flour, plus more for dusting board and dough
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pesto, homemade or store bought
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded Sartori Montamore
1/8 cup shredded Sartori Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large crown broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 red pepper, seeded, and cut into bit size pieces
1 chicken breast, grilled and cut into cubes
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Arrange the potatoes on top of a baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, until cooked through. Let potatoes sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh. Discard the potato skins.
3. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer, grate them on the large holes of a box grater, or blend in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups of shredded, cooked potato.
4. Make a mound of shredded potatoes on the counter or a large cutting board with a well in the middle. Add 3 of the egg yolks, the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes with hands, until an even consistency.
5. Sprinkle a 1/2 cup of flour over the potatoes and press it into the potatoes with your fingers. Fold the dough over on itself and press down again. Gradually sprinkle on more flour, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together. If the mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a little water.
6. Keeping your work surface and the dough lightly floured, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them.
7. As you shape the gnocchi, scatter them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Set gnocchi filled cookie sheet in front of a fan on low for 1/2 hour. If you will not cook the gnocchi until the next day or later, freeze them.
8. While the gnocchi is drying, start the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream, pesto, garlic salt, and pepper. Once warm, add shredded cheese and stir well. Let simmer for sauce to thicken while you cook the vegetables and gnocchi, about 10 minutes.
9. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Saute broccoli and red pepper for about 4 minutes. Add chicken to heat it though.
10. When ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop in the gnocchi and cook for about 2 minutes from the time they rise to the surface.
11. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer and shake off the excess water. Toss with grilled chicken, broccoli, red pepper, and pesto cream sauce.