Gnocchi with Pesto, Chicken & Mushrooms
Hello carb lovers, it’s been a while. To make up for lost time, I’m bringing you a double whammy of carbs tonight: Gnocchi. “Double whammy?” you say? Yes. Why? Because potato plus pasta equals twice as much carbs as regular pasta* and twice as much happiness in your tummy. Hungrump be gone! Makes 2 servings
*Not sure if this is a fact, but it seems logical, so you should just believe me.
Ingredients:
Pesto
1 cup of basil leaves
1/4 cup of olive oil
3-4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
Gnocchi
I will make them home made one day, and when that happens, the 5 people following this blog will be the first to know. For tonight, I used gnocchi from a package. Obviously not as good. Shoot me.
Chicken
There was leftover chicken in the fridge, so I cut it up into bite size pieces to use in this recipe. Feel free to use those chicken wings you brought home from the bar last night. The barbecue sauce will just add to the flavour. Vegetarian? Use tofu. (Don’t).
Other
Cream
Mushrooms, sliced
Salt & Pepper
Butter
Boil salted water for the gnocchi. They only take about 3-5 minutes to cook, so time the rest of your cooking and preparing accordingly.
A magic bullet blender will come in handy if you have one to make the pesto. If you’ve seen the commercial, I’m pretty sure even they say it makes making pesto a breeze. They weren’t lying. Toss all of those pesto ingredients into the MB and bullet the crap out of them until you have a nice creamy sauce/paste. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat a tablespoon or so of butter over medium heat. Add chicken (leftover/previously cooked), mushrooms, a tablespoon or so of pesto, and a splash of cream. Stir all ingredients together until coated. Add more pesto and cream, as well as pepper, until desired taste is achieved.
When gnocchi is finished (they rise to the top of the water when they are cooked), strain, and then add to the skillet. Toss all ingredients together. Top with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Note: If you have leftover pesto, don’t throw it out! Use an old (or current) ice cube tray, divide the rest of your pesto into the tray and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes from tray, place in a freezer bag and store in your freezer. Next time you need a quick sauce for your pasta, voila! Just remove a couple of cubes and toss them in a skillet or pot with your cooked pasta.
