Gnocchi with Walnut Pesto

Description
Gnocchi is a great base for sopping up all sorts of wonderful flavours, like this dazzling combination of mushrooms, crunchy walnuts and sundried tomatoes. Original in Italy the gnocchi are eaten as a first course as an alternative to soups or pasta. Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter with sage, pesto, as well as various sauces. They are generally homemade.

Ingredients

 * Gnocchi
 * 450g potatoes
 * 5g parmesan cheese
 * 1 egg, lightly beaten
 * 200 g flour
 * Salt & pepper


 * Walnut Pesto
 * 30 g walnuts
 * 20 g fresh basil
 * 2 cloves garlic, minced
 * 50 ml olive oil
 * ½ Tablespoon salt


 * Mix-ins
 * 100g Button mushrooms
 * 30g Sun-dried tomatoes
 * 20g walnuts
 * Fresh sage,
 * whole walnuts,
 * parmesan cheese
 * cherry tomatoes

Directions

 * 1) Boil the potatoes.
 * 2) When soft, remove them from the water and let cool completely.
 * 3) While they’re cooking, prepare the pesto.
 * 4) Add all the ingredients into a food processor and process until you reach a desired consistency.
 * 5) Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth
 * 6) Add parmesan and egg,
 * 7) Mix until combined.
 * 8) Add flour and mix, using your hands, until incorporated.
 * 9) Knead until you get a soft but not too sticky dough. Add more flour if needed.
 * 10) Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and roll it into 2-3cm thick logs.
 * 11) Cut them in small pieces and flatten each gnocchi with a fork.
 * 12) Place them on a generously floured surface while you heat the water to boiling.
 * 13) Add a splash of oil into the boiling water to prevent gnocchi from sticking to each other,
 * 14) Cook for 2-3 minutes.
 * 15) Heat oil in a frying pan, and add the walnuts, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes
 * 16) Sauté them until light brown.
 * 17) Remove the gnocchi from the water and toss with mushroom mix, homemade pesto, and fresh sage.
 * 18) Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese and serve warm.