Potato Gnocchi with Pea Mint Pesto & Whipped Lemon Ricotta

Potato Gnocchi with Pea Mint Pesto & Whipped Lemon Ricotta

Prep Time: 45 - 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 - 1 ½ hours

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Potato gnocchi

• 2 lbs baking potatoes, russet or Idaho potatoes will work fine (about 2-3 potatoes)
• 2 egg yolks, lightly whisked
• ¾ cup all purpose flour, more for rolling
• Pinch of salt

Pea mint pesto

• ¼ cup pine nuts (sub any kind of nut like walnut or cashew)
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 anchovy filets
• 1 ¼ cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ cup basil leaves
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Whipped lemon ricotta

• ½ cup whole milk ricotta
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Pinch of salt

To serve

• Radishes, thinly sliced
• Mint and basil, to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until easily pierced with a knife, about 1 - 1 ½ hours.
2. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the pea mint pesto. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice water. Drop the peas into the water and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove immediately into the ice bath. Once cool, strain the peas. Set ¼ cup of the peas aside for garnish.
3. In a blender, add the peas, anchovies, garlic, pine nuts, mint, basil, and a big pinch of salt. Process until nearly smooth.
4. Add the cheese and blend again. While the blender is on low, slowly pour the olive oil until emulsified. Taste for salt. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
5. For the whipped ricotta, add the ricotta, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
6. When the potatoes are done baking, cut them in half lengthwise and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the peels from the potatoes then push them through a fine mesh sieve or potato ricer.
7. Flatten the potato out about 1 cm thick. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, drizzle the egg yolks on top, and then sprinkle the flour over everything. Using a bench scraper or your hands, start to combine the potato into the flour and egg.
8. Knead gently until combined and smooth. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and rest for 10-15 minutes. Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of flour or semolina. Cut the disk into 6-8 sections.
9. Roll each section out into a long rope, using more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces, and place on the baking sheet until ready to use. Repeat with remaining dough chunks.
10. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (I used the same pot as I blanched the peas) and salt heavily. Once boiling, add a few handfuls of gnocchi. Once they float to the top, remove them into a bowl and toss with a little olive oil. Repeat with remaining gnocchis. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.
11. To the same pot or a large saucepan, add a few scoops of the pea pesto and a splash of pasta water. Once warm, toss in the gnocchis until well coated.
12. Serve the pea mint pesto gnocchi with a dollop of the whipped lemon ricotta, sliced radishes, remaining peas, drizzle of olive oil, and additional parmesan.