Gnocchi Portofino

Wash the potatoes, place them in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork with no resistance. Drain the potatoes and let cool down.

MAKE THE SAUCE

Meanwhile, place a saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.

Add a small ladle of water from the potato pot and then cover the pan; let the cherry tomatoes simmer for 8-10 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat.

Add the basil pesto to the pan and mix well.

SHAPE THE GNOCCHI

Fill a pot with salted water for cooking the gnocchi; bring to a boil.

Use a potato ricer or food mill to process the potatoes into a fine meal. If you don’t have a ricer or food mill, you can cut each potato in half lengthwise and grate the cut-side through a cheese grater (while holding the peel-side with a towel, since it’s hot!); the peel won’t go through the grater.

Place the processed potatoes on a cutting board and add flour, egg, and a pinch of salt. Using a folding motion, gently bring the ingredients together to form a dough.

Shape the gnocchi by taking a portion of the dough, nudging it into a rope ½-inch thick, and cutting the rope into 1-inch long “pillow” shapes.

COOK THE GNOCCHI & PLATE

Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until they float to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon and add them to the pan with the sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt & pepper as necessary. Plate and garnish with a handful of pine nuts on top.