I grew Marina di Chioggia squash for the first time this year just so I could make this recipe, and how gorgeous it was earlier this week :)
a) the gnocchi can be frozen, and the pesto stored - fast food when you come home 'too tired to cook' :P
b) making the gnocchi is great with kids (if my 23-year-old is anything to go by)
c) a freezer full of gnocchi and a pot of this pesto during the Winter festivities - an antidote to all that meat!
d) it's unusual enough to impress guests (when you need to) ;D
e) a satisfying number of ingredients are home-grown
f) it tastes very, very good!
If you're tempted, this is the recipe :)
Amy Goldman’s Pumpkin Gnocchi with Walnut Sage Pesto
From ‘The Compleat Squash’
Use a sweet, dry-fleshed squash such as Marina di Chioggia (traditional), or a dry, flaky squash such as Buttercup or Hubbard. Use dry, flaky potatoes too.
Gnocchi
1 ½ cups flour, plus additional as needed
1 cup puree of Marina di Chioggia or other maxima or moschata squash
2 cups mashed potatoes
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
Dust a large (11 x 17â€) baking sheet with flour and set aside.
With your hands, mix squash puree, potato and spices in a large bowl. Add the flour gradually, to form a soft and slightly sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and dust with flour. Using the floured palm of both hands, roll the dough into 1†diameter ropes. Cut each rope into ¾†pieces using a floured thumb, press each piece of dough onto the tines of a floured fork. Push the dough up and off the fork onto the floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cook immediately or freeze on the tray. After the gnocchi harden, transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer.
Cooking time for frozen gnocchi is about the same as for fresh.
To cook the gnocchi, bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tsp salt, and reduce to a simmer. Add the gnocchi to the simmering water in small batches. They will float to the top after a couple of minutes. Continue cooking for about 30 seconds or until the centres are cooked through. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon, and keep warm whilst cooking the rest of the dumplings.
To serve: toss the gnocchi with a small amount of pesto, divide into individual servings, lightly toss with olive oil if you wish, and top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Walnut sage pesto
This pesto can be made well in advance. If stored in a preserving jar covered with ¼†of olive oil, it will keep in the fridge for several weeks. In the freezer it will remain good for up to a year.
¾ cup walnuts
½ cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
½ cup chopped parsley
3-4 tbs chopped fresh sage leaves
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat a large pan over a medium high heat. Add walnuts, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Toast the pine nuts separately, since they take a shorter time to brown (about 2 minutes) and will burn if toasted with the walnuts. Remove the nuts from the heat and allow to cool.
Put nuts, garlic, salt, parsley and sage into a food processor and process till blended. Slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube with the motor running, as for mayonnaise. Then add the cheese and pulse to combine. Or do it in a mortar the traditional way!
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/smilies/10.gif)
That all sounds delicious, Sarah.Only grew butternuts (and looking at the price in the supermarkets I'm glad I did) this time but I fully intend to grow more varieties next year!
I'm going to make the pesto though.I can always use pesto. :P
Thankyou for the recipes.
M
I have Marina di Chioggia seeds for next year.
You're a wicked woman Sarah! Got me drooling all over me keyboard... :-[ :-[ :-[ :P
I found these helpful anne :D
Making the dough sausage
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/whats_cookin/gnocchi6.jpg)
Cutting
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/whats_cookin/gnocchi7.jpg)
Marking and rolling
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/whats_cookin/gnocchi8.jpg)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/whats_cookin/gnocchi85.jpg)
Ready to freeze or boil
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/whats_cookin/gnocchi9.jpg)
;D ;D Were you really making gnocchi at 5 am ::). That's what I call an early start to the day!
Tricia
yep :-[ 8)
it was so good there was a request for more ... very soothing to make gnocchi in peace!
;D
But who took the photos!!!?
lol those are the ones I used from an Italian cooking website to help me last week - my nyocky turned out a little more, erm, rustic ::)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/IMG_0316.jpg)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/IMG_0317.jpg)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/IMG_0319.jpg)
I'm sure it'll get better with practice!
;D
Rustic is top dog in my book ...
Just doing my version of your recipe as I type ... (potatoes boiling so enjoying a glass of port ...) using pumpkin - no squash left. Other minor variations (no nutmeg).
Will tell you how we got on afterwards - already tasted the pesto and it is fab (mixed nuts instead of walnuts - using what is at hand).
:)
Update - gosh my head will hit the sides of the monitor after the accolades from my family - thanks for suggesting this !!!
good luck curry, hope you enjoy it!
have you figured out that the ideal diameter of the snake is related to the width of the fork? ::)
was up with the lark again making more nyocky for the freezer with the rest of the Buttercup squash - although some of this went into our gorgeous gattock
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,25541.0
I'm being challenged to make pumpkin ravioli now. Any tips? No end to cucurbit capers eh :P
;D
Looks absolutely yummy. Thanks for this, I must try this recipe soon. Do you have to use Marina di Chioggia squash or will any type do?
whatever squash you have, so long as it's firm, sweet and dry and not fibrous. IMO Buttercup is even better than Marina, but maybe that's because the Buttercup was the second batch I made and I was getting better at it lmao ;)
I haven't ever grown squash so it'll have to be bought ones. Have them on the 'grow' list for next year though. I love gnocchi and pesto! I'm getting hungry thinking about this.
oo gg if it's your first year growing and you want to try a lot of different ones, remember to post a request in the swap shop - we've all got our own favourites and a few to spare ;)
Will do supersprout.