I’m short on time this week, so this speedy pea pesto gnocchi recipe feels appropriate for this shorter-than-normal newsletter. I don’t really know where the inspiration for this recipe came from, other than having some parsley and ricotta in the fridge, and some peas in the freezer. Sometimes the best recipes come from necessity, and it’s nice not to have to keep schlepping to Tesco Express. This one probably takes about 10 minutes from start to finish and is also quite nice cold out of a Tupperware on your desk for lunch the next day (just me? OK). You could add whatever herbs you have lying around, cashews instead of pine nuts and a little sprinkle of parmesan if you have it.
Pea, parsley and ricotta pesto gnocchi
Serves 2
2 tbsp frozen peas
1 tbsp pine nuts
15g fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 tbsp ricotta, plus extra for serving
250g gnocchi
Place the frozen peas in a microwaveable jug and microwave according to pack instructions.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden and roughly chop the parsley and garlic.
Drain the peas, then add back into the jug with the parsley, garlic, lemon juice, ricotta and a healthy glug of extra virgin olive oil. Whizz with a stick blender until smooth, season to taste, then set aside.
Bring a pan of well-salted water to the boil, then add the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi begins to rise to the surface of the water. Drain the gnocchi, reserving a few spoonfuls of the cooking water, then return to the pan.
On a gentle heat, stir through the pesto, loosening with a splash of gnocchi cooking water until heated through and glossy.
Spoon onto plates and dot with the rest of the ricotta to your liking, then grind over some black pepper.
I just can’t seem to get fritters right. They’re supposed to be an ‘easy weeknight dinner’ on all the recipe sites, but I don’t know about you but I think they’re harder than they look. Get the cheese ratio slightly off? Falling apart. Add a little too much flour? Stodge central. Pan a bit too hot? Quite overdone on the outside, absolutely raw in the middle. Maybe it’s the recipes, but I suspect it’s me. Tips welcome.
Things to watch/read/eat:
I went on a lovely trip to Brighton this Sunday, so this week’s recommendation section will be made up of my new seaside food and drink finds:
Amathus is a great little drinks shop selling good value tasty beers and wines for drinking on the beach. I went for this:
RYBKA fish and chips is not your usual grease-fest seafront fare, but it is very very nice and the curry sauce is unreal:
Finished the day off with an ice cream (mint choc chip is my vice), doesn’t really matter where it’s from when you’re still on that post-swim high: