Gnocchi Two Ways, with Pesto and Kale

Clea Grady

Prep Time: 15M
Cooking Time: 20M
Serves: 2

A fast and tasty weekday meal, that you could probably serve at a summer dinner party as well. Cooking the gnocchi two ways gives the dish more texture and crunch. Serve with a big salad if extra hungry.

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Ingredients

  1. 1 x packet of gnocchi (I use Ocado’s own)
  2. 1/2 packet of kale
  3. 1 x red or yellow pepper
  4. Generous handful of Kalamata olives, mashed, stoned and ripped in half
  5. 8-10 baby plum tomatoes
  6. A generous tablespoon of nut-free pesto – I use Zest with coriander
  7. Olive oil
  8. Cracked black pepper
  9. Cracked sea salt
  10. Optional:
  11. Roasted chickpeas
  12. Spring onion
  13. (See serving suggestion below)

A fast and tasty weekday meal, that you could probably serve at a summer dinner party as well. Cooking the gnocchi two ways gives the dish more texture and crunch. Serve with a big salad if extra hungry.

Preparation

Serves 2

Method

  • Put a frying pan on a medium heat and add a generous splash of olive oil
  • Pour in half the packet of gnocchi
  • Add pepper and salt and stir – keep stirring every now and then as prepare the veg
  • Chuck the kale in a colander and wash thoroughly. Set aside
  • Chop up the pepper into bite sized squares
  • Quarter your tomatoes
  • Squash each olive with the back of your knife to pop out the stone, rip in half
  • Pour kale onto board with rest of veg and assess the frying gnocchi – if the gnocchi is starting to turn a light gold colour, turn down the heat and fill the kettle up with water
  • Pour boiling water into a saucepan, on a medium/high heat and throw in the remaining gnocchi
  • When each of the gnocchi have floated to the surface (after a couple of minutes) turn down the heat and pour into the colander to drain
  • In the same pan, on a low heat, put a generous dollop of pesto
  • Add the peppers, tomatoes and olives and mix together
  • Check that your fried gnocchi is nearly done – you want it golden in colour, with a crunchy outside and a soft middle. Try if you are unsure
  • Add the boiled gnocchi to your pesto mix and then add the kale, stirring as you go
  • When the kale is starting to wilt and darken in colour, turn off the heat on both pans
  • Serves immediately onto warmed plates, with the pesto-covered gnocchi in the centre and some crunchy fried gnocchi round the edges
  • Add a little cracked pepper on top

TIP: Leave some for seconds as it is very moreish, but the gnocchi is more filling than you imagine. Best enjoyed with a cool glass of vino!

Serving suggestion: Top with roasted chickpeas and spring onion for an extra twist (second image). Chickpeas are so easy to roast: drain and rinse a can of chickpeas in cold water, pour onto a clean tea towel and dry off as much of the moisture as possible, pour into a bowl, add a splash of olive oil and a half a teaspoon of each of the following: cayenne pepper, oregano, celery salt and garlic granules (this is my favourite mix, but you can experiment with any flavours you like really), and mix well, pour onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at about 220, and then leave for 5 minutes or so to cool.

 

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