Spinach Pesto Gnocchi
After all of that cooking for Thanksgiving, who’s ready for a break? This dinner comes together in minutes and is packed full of nutritious flavor. Barricato al Pepe brings a fruity and peppery addition to this pesto, and nicely balances the spinach. This pesto is so easy that you’ll want to make a double batch and pop some in the freezer. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 package Gia Russa Gnocchi
4 ounces fresh spinach
1 garlic clove, rough chopped
1 tablespoon Marcona almonds*
1 tablespoon capers*
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
1/2 cup Barricato al Pepe, finely grated*
1/2 -3/4 cup olive oil*
*Items with an asterisk can be found at The Cheese Shop of Salem.
Directions
1. Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, combine the spinach, garlic clove, capers, almonds and a slow drizzle of olive oil until ingredients come together to form a paste. Add in the red pepper and cheese and pulse until well combined.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add in the gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes until gnocchi is floating.
3. Drain the gnocchi, reserving 2 cups of the water. Stir together the gnocchi and pesto, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Top with grated cheese, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to serve.
Makes 2 cups of pesto