RECIPE: Polly's Pesto Pasta Paste Preparation

After a hard day's work taking care of that petulant brat, a nice, comforting cream pesto gnocchi is all I need to take the stress away.

This recipe was passed down from my grandmother, and I always make it when I'm feeling down. Which is every day around that kid and his dumb plants. Sometimes, one of our neighbours, HERO, helps me make it! I think he's gotten the recipe down quite nicely, actually.

While this dish traditionally uses gnocchi, which are potato dumplings, you can always substitute it for spaghetti. Be warned, though, as there tends to be an annoying child who will yell at you for snapping pasta. How else are they supposed to fit in my pot?

As you know, pesto is a paste made of crushed BASIL, and incorporating it with heavy cream will only make it even creamier! You don't have to mercilessly crush your BASIL yourself, as satisfying and cathartic as that may be. You can just use the bottled variety instead. However, it won't taste as good without (inflicting) any pain!

Cream Pesto Gnocchi

Serves two people (or one KEL)

If you use pre-packaged gnocchi and pesto, skip to the final preparation step.

Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg

Steps:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.
3. Boil the potatoes until they just come apart when stabbed with a fork.
4. Drain the potatoes and put into a mixing bowl.
5. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher (or a fork) until mashed.
6. Add flour and eggs and continue to mix until fully incorporated and firm.
7. Divide the dough into long rolls, and further divide into individual gnocchi pieces.
8. Impress the surface of the gnocchi with a fork. This is to provide more places for the sauce to stick.
9. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
10. Start adding the raw gnocchi into the pot. Remove the finished gnocchi when it floats.

Pesto Paste

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Start crushing the basil and pine nuts with a mortar & pestle.
2. When mildly crushed, add parmesan cheese and garlic and continue crushing.
3. While crushing, slowly add olive oil until pesto has emulsified into a fine paste.
4. Crush the pesto paste to the consistency you desire.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Final Preparation

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked gnocchi
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Grated parmesan cheese to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Bring a saucepan of heavy cream to a simmer.
2. Add pesto to saucepan. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add cooked gnocchi to saucepan. Mix until gnocchi is coated with sauce.
5. Plate the finished cream pesto gnocchi. Add grated parmesan cheese to taste.
6. Serve!