Crispy Gnocchi with Greens

We are reinventing pasta night. But beware, this recipe might ruin pasta for you altogether. We are making Crispy Gnocchi with Greens, the little puffy cloud-like Italian dish that's an absolute crowd-pleaser. 

I made this recipe initially for a dinner party I hosted a while ago. I had a bunch of friends coming over but I had so little time, so I was a bit stressed out. Fortunately, I was at the market and I saw gnocchi, it felt like a light bulb lid up in my head right on the spot. 

You can always make gnocchi yourself. The little clouds are not that hard to make but they do take time. For this reason, I usually opt for buying them at the local market where I can find freshly made gnocchi, and very important, vegan gnocchi. 

I always double-check that I am actually buying vegan gnocchi since some brands add egg to the recipe. I'm under the impression most are vegan but it is always better to be safe than sorry. 

Another thing to pay attention to when you buy gnocchi is the flour. Potato is the main ingredient but most of the time is mixed with wheat flour. If you are after a gluten-free recipe this is a great one but double-check the ingredients. 

The quality of your gnocchi is important to have that fluffy texture. But what makes or breaks the recipe is the rest of the ingredients you'll be adding and the sauce you pair it with. For this recipe, we mixed different greens and we made a delicious pesto sauce. 

I wanted to add more nutrients to this recipe so I threw in broccoli and some leafy greens, Chinese broccoli. These two green veggies are a powerhouse of nutrients. You get a ton of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plant-based protein which means you get a handful of health benefits. 

Chinese broccoli is not as well-known as regular broccoli but it is a great addition to your diet. This vegetable is actually considered a leafy green, it tastes very similar to regular broccoli. But like many leafy greens, you get a lot of beta-carotene and it is a great source of Vitam E. 

All these translate into a healthier heart, healthier bones, healthier lungs. You also reduce inflammation, which is the main cause of many diseases. It helps prevent diabetes, and arthritis improves vision, and the list goes on and on!!

And now, for my favourite part, the sauce! I usually like to keep it simple. And since this time I didn't have a lot of time to spare, I needed a sauce that would bring all the flavour and the ingredients together without a lot of effort. 

I just put all the sauce ingredients in a food processor for a couple of minutes and the pesto sauce was done! The taste of the fresh basil with almonds, nutritional yeast, garlic and a touch of lemon zest will bring this dish to another level!