Gnocchi with Pesto and Cashew Cream recipe

I really love gnocchi, I could have it for dinner every week. It’s a perfect combination of pasta and potato so you can combine it with all kinds of ingredients. When I’m going out for dinner and there’s gnocchi on the menu, there’s a pretty big chance I’ll go for it. It’s easy to make vegetarian dishes with gnocchi, and most of the gnocchi is even vegan so it’s also a great base for plant-based dishes.
When I was in Leeds I had a gnocchi dish for lunch at restaurant Fettle that I liked so much that I’ve recreated it at home. This gnocchi dish is made with pesto, cashew cream, green beans and feta cheese.
The recipe is vegetarian and you can easily turn it into a vegan dish by skipping the feta and substituting the regular pesto by vegan pesto. You can also add a handful of (roasted) hazelnuts if you miss a topping when you skip the feta cheese.

I made this gnocchi dish with pesto and cashew cream for dinner, but it’s also great for lunch (as Fettle in Leeds has proved).
Please note that you’ll have to soak the cashews. You’ll need to put them in a bowl with water for at least 1 hour, but the longer the better. I’ve put them in water in the morning so that they soaked for quite a few hours before I needed them for dinner.

Recipe Gnocchi with Pesto and Cashew Cream

Ingredients (serves 2)
500 grams gnocchi
400 grams haricots verts
100 grams cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
50 grams feta cheese
2 tbs pumpkin seeds
2 tbs green pesto

Put the soaked cashews in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.
Roast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan without oil.
Bring water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and let it boil for 2 minutes. Take the gnocchi out of the water and add the haricots verts. Boil the green beans for 4-6 minutes.
Warm some olive oil in a frying pan, add the gnocchi and the pesto and fry for 2 minutes.

Serve the gnocchi with the haricots verts and the pumpkin seeds. Scoop a spoon of cashew cream on the side.
Crumble the feta over the plates.

Did you know you can easily make your own gnocchi from scratch? Click here for my sweet potato gnocchi recipe.