Week 80: Pesto Gnocchi Salad

When Abby showed up at my house this afternoon claiming that she was hungry, so we were making something easy and fast, I was on board. Because, really, when do I not want to eat RIGHTTHISMINUTE? Never. Or always. However you look at it.

Anyway, this was a yummy spin on a pasta salad. I always love the chewiness of gnocchi, and the way the pesto/ricotta mixture coated everything was delicious. Abby had printed off a recipe, but we pretty much just did things our own way.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS

Gnocchi from the refrigerated section of the grocery store (we used some yummy whole-wheat sweet potato variety)
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh baby spinach
1 cup pesto
Part-skim ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. You could, of course, make your own gnocchi from scratch. But then you would probably be showing off. And this is not a task you should attempt when you are already hungry before you even start cooking. Let the gnocchi drain and cool while you work on the rest of the salad.

Quarter the cherry tomatoes.

Cut the spinach into pieces that will fit into a nice bite. I cut ours roughly in half.

In a bowl, mix the pesto with a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta. Toss the gnocchi, tomatoes, and spinach in the pesto mixture. Salt and pepper to taste, and top with a dollop of ricotta.

Week 54: Pesto Mac and Goat Cheese

The perfect meal for rainy weather? Mac and Cheese. But you wouldn't expect us to make NORMAL mac and cheese, would you? This week's variation of an already-delicious dish uses goat cheese (salty deliciousness) and pesto. I also liked how the sauce stuck on the minature shells.

While it was still wonderful reheated as a leftover, it lost that great panko breadcrumb crunch that it had straight out of the oven. I also found the recipe slightly confusing to follow, but it's also likely that I was just distracted by the prospect of eating something that smelled this yummy.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 3/4 cups Parmesan
1 pound mini pasta shells
2 cups half-and-half
16 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup pesto sauce, store-bought or home-made
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Preheat the broiler and arrange a rack on top.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan over low heat. In a large bowl add the garlic, basil, panko, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Add the melted butter and toss to combine. Reserve.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, put the half-and-half in a small pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Put the pot over low heat and add the half-and-half mixture. When it simmers, add the goat cheese and whisk until smooth. Add in the remaining Parmesan and whisk until melted.

Add the pasta and stir to coat. Stir in the pesto, reserved cooking water, salt, and pepper. Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Pour the pasta mixture into the buttered baking dish and top with the panko mixture. Put under the broiler until the mixture bubbles and the top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.