Parsnip Gnocchi with Arugula Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

1 pound of Russet potatoes, about 3 medium sized

1 pound parsnips, about 2 large

2 egg yolks

2/3 cups all-purpose flour (more as needed, and for rolling)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

Pesto

2 cups tightly packed arugula

½ cup olive oil

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Juice of one large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

1 clove chopped garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prick the potatoes with a fork and rub about 1 teaspoon olive oil all over the whole parsnips. Roast the potatoes and parsnips on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for approximately 1 hour, until very tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool slightly and as soon as you can handle them, remove the skins from the potatoes and parsnips. Press the potatoes through a ricer if you have one, or grate them over the large holes of a box grater. Purée the parsnips until smooth, or simply mash them with a fork. Place the grated potato and parsnips on a clean work surface. Whisk the egg yolks and pour over the parsnip-potato mash.

Using a flour sifter, sprinkle about ¼ cup of flour and begin to incorporate very loosely. Avoid overworking or kneading the dough. Cutting in the flour prevents the gluten in the flour from developing and yields a more tender gnocchi. Keep adding flour and incorporating it until the dough becomes less sticky. You can begin folding the dough gently onto itself to incorporate the last amount of flour. Add more flour as needed to obtain a dough that holds together well and is not overly sticky. Roll the dough into a log, cover with a cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes while you prepare the pesto.

Place all the pesto ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse just until incorporated, or until your pesto reaches the consistency you prefer. Taste and add salt and pepper and more lemon juice if needed. Take the gnocchi log and slice it into 6 even pieces. Roll each piece into a long snake about ½ inch in diameter. Cut the gnocchi pieces about 1 inch long. Dust with flour and avoid piling then together so they don’t clump.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Delicately drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, in about 3 or 4 separate batches. They will drop to the bottom and after about a minute, they will float to the surface. Let them float for about 30 seconds and then remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and transfer into a heated pan with the 2 Tbsp of butter. Allow the gnocchi to turn golden brown and at the last minute, add a generous dollop of pesto, making sure not to leave the pesto in the hot pan for more than a few seconds otherwise it will begin to turn a brownish green.

Serve hot, with a bit of extra grated parmesan.

Recipe from Aube Giroux’s Kitchen Vignettes/ PBS