January 17, 2013 | 0 Comments

White Cheddar & Basil Baked Gnocchi

I have no other means of describing this recipe other than “stupid good.” I am kicking myself for not making more of it, because it was so phenomenal. I’ve seen some gnocchi mac and cheese recipes before, but this one is a definite Pink Troll Kitchen/Danielle Kay original! Basil and white cheddar together are just so great, and when you add in gnocchi, one of my favorite foods (which I finally found a gluten-free version of a couple weeks ago), you’ve got yourself some magic food. Plus the fact that you have some basil pesto taste in there…just wow. I’ve got nothing else to say besides eat up!

Servings: 1.5-2 (If you are cooking for 2 I would probably double it to be on the safe side…plus you will want those leftovers)

Ingredients
12 oz/1 pkg gluten-free potato gnocchi
1 cup regular almond milk
6 oz white cheddar (buy the good stuff, trust me. Kraft will be no good here)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp pine nuts
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
First, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine. This might be the most important step in cooking a delicious meal.

Preheat oven to 400 degress. Cook gnocchi according to directions on package. Drop into boiling salted water and stir lightly until gnocchi rise to the top of the pot. Drain and set aside.

Add 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. After 1-2 minutes, add flour and stir to make a paste. Add milk and stir regularly until thick. Add in your freshly shredded white cheddar and 3 tbsp of the parmesan to the sauce and mix well until melted.

With a mortar & pestle (yes, we’re doing this old school today) grind basil, 1 clove of garlic, and pine nuts into a rough paste. Add rest of parmesan and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Continue to grind until well mixed. You don’t want this pesto to be overly smooth…you’ll want those big bites of flavor.