Forever Amore – Valentine’s Special

This recipe is crafted by Tsarina Abrao Vacha (@tsadough on instagram) as a Valentine’s special meal for Dough’s Community.

The most romanticized cuisine has to be Italian cuisine, and for obvious reasons! We’ve all seen movies show people over dinner and wine sharing a long spaghetti noodle. But gnocchi often gets bad reputation for being too tough and messy to make, but not anymore!
(Pssst!! – This also means less sharing and full portions for each!)

This gnocchi recipe provides the perfect crisp to soft ratio, surprising you with each bite. The most unexpected element which will surely steal your hearts away is the spicy pesto. Back to the basics, it uses ingredients that you can always find in your pantry. Put aside your kitchen woes as it is impossible to go wrong with this one!

With Valentine’s day around the corner, the romance between gnocchi and pesto has continued. Resulting in a brand new wholesome avatar – Forever Amore – it embraces some fine fusion flavours along the way. If you’re looking to complete this meal set – here’s my recipe for a hazelnut espresso pudding that pairs perfectly with this!

Gnocchi in Charred Chilly Pesto

Recipe by Tsarina A VachaCuisine: FusionDifficulty: Beginner

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

This is a one of the simplest, pillowy pasta with a smokey-spicy twist!

Ingredients

• For the Gnocchi

• 200 g Boiled potato*, grated fine

• 50 g TWF Reliq flour

• A pinch of pepper, nutmeg and salt

• For the Charred Chilly Pesto

• 1 cup (loosely packed) Coriander leaves

• ½ cup (loosely packed) Mint leaves

• ½ cup (loosely packed) chopped Spring onion greens

• 10 Sultanas/ golden raisins

• 3 Green chillies (charred over an open flame)

• 30 Shelled pistachios

• 1 Small garlic clove

• 30 g Feta cheese

• ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil

• The Assembly

• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

• 4 tbsp Charred chilly Pesto

Directions

• For Gnocchi
• On a floured work surface, sprinkle the flour and seasonings over the potato and lightly mix – DO NOT MASH. Just bring it together and leave it to rest for 10 minutes, covered
• Roll into a 1 cm thick rope and cut with a floured knife into 1.5 cm
  pieces
• Bring 3 litres of water to a rolling boil in a pot and drop the gnocchi into it
• Remove once they float, which will take about 30 seconds
• For the Charred Chilly Pesto
• Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor for a few seconds. Use as needed
• Store the rest in the fridge for later use
• For the Assembly
• Heat the olive oil, toss in the gnocchi**, let them brown lightly
  
• Add 4 tbsp (or more if you wish) of the pesto, toss well with the gnocchi
• Serve garnished with a sprinkle of parmesan and chopped roasted pistachios

Notes

• *Boil the potatoes in vegetable stock for extra flavor. The potatoes must be drained well before grating
• **Add a splash of white wine for a special touch

Tsarina Abrao Vacha (@tsadough on Instagram)
Guest writer, and an explorer of foodscapes

An architect by profession, Tsarina Abrao Vacha calls herself “An Architect of facades and feasts”
For over 30 years, (22 of which were overseas) the synergies between design and food have been the inspiration behind her creations. Among other things, she also dabbled with bespoke interiors, tablescapes and curated food experiences. When not at her drawing board, or on a site, Tsarina likes to immerse herself in scripting recipes, baking sourdough and healthy treats, hosting supper clubs and researching vintage/ heirloom food traditions. You can reach her on her instagram – @tsadough.