michelle picker cooks

These gnocchi are quick and easy to make and are a satisfying meal.

Place 2 cups of fresh ricotta cheese in a bowl and add 1 large egg and ¾ of a cup of plain flour. Mix thoroughly with a fork then, with wet hands, roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place them on a plate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pick the leaves off a bunch of basil. Wash and dry them as thoroughly as possible then place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of pine nuts, ½ a cup of cashews, a finely diced clove of garlic, ½ a cup of good olive oil and a pinch of salt. Process to a consistency you like (I made mine quite coarse). Remove to a bowl and add ¼ – ½ a cup of grated Parmesan, according to taste, and mix by hand. To cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil then drop them in one at a time. When all the gnocchi have risen to the surface, allow them to cook a few minutes more before removing them carefully with a slotted spoon. Serve hot with the pesto and a little more Parmesan to taste.