Gnocchi al Pesto Masterclass with Giuseppe Crupi

Gnocchi al Pesto Masterclass with Giuseppe Crupi

In this instalment of our Chef Recipe Series with Giuseppe Crupi, he will showcase how to make gnocchi and pesto from scratch. This is another Italian classic that the whole family will love to make and of course to eat. Gnocchi is a great recipe to get kids involved with making as it is fun and easy to do.

Giuseppe recommends using Rooster potatoes, but any floury potato will do.

This recipe feeds 6-8 people, so invite some friends & family over, make a little gnocchi work line, and enjoy making and eating this delicious pasta together.

You can catch up on Giuseppe’s previous episodes on how to make your own pasta with Giuseppe’s Pasta Masterclass over here and Tagliatelle all’Amatriciana here.

Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to watch our series.

Gnocchi al Pesto

Serves 6

Ingredients for gnocchi:

• 250 00′ flour
• 1kg potatoes
• 1 egg
• Bunch of parsley
• Salt & black pepper

Pesto genovese:

• 200g basil
• 1 clove of garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 50g of pine nuts
• 80g Parmesan cheese
•  Salt

Method for gnocchi:

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 30 minutes without peeling (cooking time depends on the type and size, a rule for tasting cooking state is to stick a fork into one or two potatoes and if it goes easily, the potatoes are done).
2. When ready, drain peel and mash them.
3. Place the flour in a mound.
4. Add potatoes, egg, salt, pepper, finely sliced parsley and mix all together.
5. Don’t knead the dough too much, just long enough to blend all the ingredients.
6. Cut a piece of the dough, sprinkle the working surface and your hands with flour and roll the dough into a long cylinder.
7. Cut the cylinder into cubes.
8. Place the gnocchi on a flat tray sprinkled with flour.
9. If you want you can use a riga gnocchi (ridged paddle seen in the video at 5 mins). use your thumb to roll gnocchi to have ridges in the gnocchi. Alternatively you can use the back of a fork as seen in our video above).

Gnocchi al pesto:

1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts either using a pestle and mortar as Giuseppe has used in the video alternatively you can pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil.
3. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
4. Add the grated cheese and a pinch of salt. Pulse again until blended.
5. Pesto can last in the refrigerator up to a week, and can also be frozen for later use.
6. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add salt. Gently drop the gnocchi in the boiling water.
7. Melt the pesto with a spoon of boiling water in a big bowl
8. Cook gnocchi until they float. Drain it and add it in the bowl
9. Serve each portion dressed with a basil leave, few pine nuts, parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

About Giuseppe: