HANDMADE GNOCCHI WITH PEA & MINT PESTO AND CHERMOULA ROAST VEGETABLES
Cook: 60 minutes
Q&A with Keeva
How did you find your love of cooking?
If you had told me when I was younger that I would be so obsessed with all things food and cooking, I wouldn’t have believed you! As a child, I was incredibly fussy and very unadventurous with food. As I grew older, I became more interested in trying new things and enjoying good food with friends and my partner. With this came an interest in ingredients and how things are made. During lockdown, we had the time at home to experiment with cooking and baking, developing our skills and knowledge as we went.
What is your favourite type of cuisine to cook?
If you were to look at my social media pages, you would see I am a big fan of comfort food! From slow-cooked curries to big bowls of pasta, food that feels like a big hug. I wouldn’t say I have a favourite type of cuisine per se, but my favourite way to serve and eat food is in big sharing bowls and platters with lots of sides and condiments to pick from.
How would you describe your personal cooking style?
Admittedly, my personal cooking style is quite methodical. What can I say? I like to follow a recipe! As my confidence grows in my cooking, I find myself straying from recipes more and using my own knowledge to put a twist on them, which I welcome you to do with this recipe.
What would be your chosen last meal on earth?
My last meal on earth would definitely be a big bowl of comfort food. Most likely pasta, probably smothered in cheese and with a spicy kick to keep things interesting.
What is the first Belazu product you ever tried?
The first Belazu product I tried was the Harissa Paste. I was blown away by how quickly it can transform a dish! I am yet to find a meal it doesn’t work with, from fried eggs to roast vegetables. It is now a staple in a lot of my cooking, and you will always find a jar in my cupboard.
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Gnocchi
1kg Potatoes -
2 whole eggs
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150 Plain Flour (plus more for shaping. The amount you need will depend on how much moisture your potatoes still contain after baking so have plenty spare in case you need more!)
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Salt
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Belazu Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Pea & Mint Cream Sauce
2 tbsp Belazu Pea & Mint Pesto -
3 tbsp Crème Fraiche
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80g Parmesan, grated
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Belazu Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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2 tbsp Butter
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Salt & Pepper
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100g Frozen Peas
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Zest of 1 Lemon
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Handful of chopped Basil
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Chermoula Roast Vegetables
Bunch Asparagus Tips, chopped -
1 Courgette, chopped
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2 tbsp Chermoula Paste
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Salt & Pepper
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 200c fan. Add potatoes to a baking tray, stab each with a fork a few times on each side. Season with salt and oil. Bake for 1 hour
- Step 2: Once baked cut into halves and allow to cool slightly (until you can hold them easily without burning yourself!) then peel off the skins
- Step 3: Push the potatoes through a ricer (a sieve would work here too) and place onto a rimmed baking tray
- Step 4: Beat the eggs and pour over the potato. Sift over the flour and bring together into a ball using a bench scraper, chopping and mixing through to evenly distribute
- Step 5: Once combined switch to kneading by hand, adding more flour if you feel the dough is still too sticky. Once happy with the consistency, roll it out by hand into a fat log and cut into 4 pieces.
- Step 6: Add some more flour on the work surface and roll each piece out into a long 1” rope as even as possible. Cut each rope into small gnocchi shapes.
- Step 7: Shape each as desired. I have a gnocchi board to add ridges to each but this isn’t necessary, little round pillow shapes are great too!
- Step 8: Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the gnocchi in batches. The gnocchi is ready to be taken out once it floats to the top of the water (keep some of this water for bringing your sauce together)
- Step 9: Set aside whilst preparing the vegetables and sauce (Note: if you are planning on freezing any gnocchi for another time, this would be the time to do it!)
- Step 10: For the Chermoula roast vegetables: Preheat oven to 180c fan then add the asparagus and courgette to a lined baking tray evenly coating them with chermoula paste and seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 25 minutes until caramalised.
- Step 11: For the pea and mint cream sauce: Whilst the veg cooks, heat oil in a skillet over a high heat. Add butter to the pan. Once melted add in the gnocchi, moving regularly until the gnocchi is golden brown.
- Step 12: Add a splash of the cooking water, the peas and crème fraiche. Toss everything together.
- Step 13: Add the Pea & Mint Pesto and toss everything together to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon zest, parmesan and basil. Stir a final time to combine, adding more cooking water to thicken if required.
- Step 14: Once happy with the sauce and the vegetables are cooked, serve the gnocchi in the sauce, top with the roast vegetables, a squeeze of lemon juice and any leftover basil
