Beetroot Gnocchi with Nutty Watercress Pesto

Name: Beetroot Gnocchi with Nutty Watercress Pesto
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 4 (or 6 as a first course)
Ingredients: 60 g/2¼ oz/⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus Parmesan shavings to serve; 85 g/3 oz/2 cups watercress; 1 garlic clove; 75 g/2½ oz/¾ cup walnuts, lightly toasted, to serve; 100–200 g/3½–7 oz/¾–1½ cups wholemeal/whole-wheat flour, plus extra for dusting; 80 ml/2½ fl oz/⅓ cup avocado or extra virgin olive oil; 1 large raw beetroot/beet, about 200g/7oz; extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling; 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar; 25 g/1 oz/¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese; a squeeze of lemon juice; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 kg/2 lb 4 oz Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and quartered; 40 g/1½ oz/scant ½ cup walnuts; 2 egg yolks

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 40

Appears in

In the Mood for Healthy Food

By Jo Pratt

Published 2015

About

Gnocchi might not be the sort of thing you usually make from scratch but believe me – this recipe is well worth it. Not only does it look amazing but also the beetroot flavour works brilliantly, especially when served with the vibrant green homemade pesto.

Ingredients

1 large raw beetroot/beet, about 200g/7oz
2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1

Starter
Pasta
Vegetarian

Method

To make the pesto, put the watercress and garlic in a food processor and blend until roughly chopped. Add the walnuts, Parmesan, lemon juice and olive oil and blend to a relatively smooth consistency. Add a little water if it seems a little too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a bowl and leave to one side.

Put the beetroot/beet and vinegar in a pan and cover with water. Br