Creamy Gnocchi al Pesto with Spinach

Three of my favorite foods: gnocchi, pesto, and spinach COMBINED. Although, it’s not really saying much, since most foods are my favorite foods (self-proclaimed food addict) except for meat (obviously) and mushrooms. Anyway, I love gnocchi but had never cooked it at home so I figured I’d give it a whirl instead of pasta. I even cooked it a little differently to make it creamy…without so much extra fat.

Ingredients:
Approx 2 cups soymilk
1 pkg potato gnocchi
1.5 cups loosely packed baby spinach

pesto sauce:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 clove garlic (peeled)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (you can use the Kraft stuff in the jar, tastes fine but you will notice a difference)
Salt to taste

Instructions:
Instead of cooking gnocchi with water, according to the directions on the package, place the gnocchi in a medium saucepan and add the soymilk, enough that it is not totally covering the gnocchi but you can see pieces sticking out.

You may not use all 2 cups of milk for this. Heat on medium to a simmer, do not let milk boil, until gnocchi is soft and has absorbed most of the milk. If you feel there is too much milk left but the gnocchi is fully cooked, feel free to drain some. This gives the gnocchi the creamy quality without the extra fat content of adding cream.

While the gnocchi is still warm, mix in the spinach leaves so that they wilt slightly.

To make the pesto, you can use a food processor/blender or a traditional mortar and pestle. I’ve used both, and it tastes the same, but if you’re impatient I would go for the food processor. Blend basil, pine nuts and garlic until they are roughly chopped. Then, add olive oil a small portion at a time until mixture gets smooth. Once all of the olive oil has been mixed in, start to add the parmesan cheese in small portions at a time. Once all the parmesan cheese has been added, you’re done! Add the desired amount to your gnocchi and mix. The soymilk will make the pesto a bit creamy, and insanely delicious!

Top with pine nuts, and enjoy!