Pantry-shelf potato gnocchi with fresh pesto

Gnocchi is one of those dishes that sounds fussy and turns out simple. Soft little potato dumplings, a good sauce, done. The old way starts with baking potatoes, mashing them, and hoping you got the moisture right. This one starts on the pantry shelf, and the dough comes together in about the time it takes to boil the water.

The potato base, the butter, and the eggs all come off the shelf. You add flour, a little fresh basil for the pesto, and you have a plate that feels like a treat and still carries real nutrition. It works on a school night. It also works when the store is not an option.

What the pantry does for this dish

The parts that usually take the most time are the parts I skip here.

• The Instant Vitamin Potato rehydrates smooth in a few minutes. No peeling, no boiling, no mashing.
• Powdered Vitamin Eggs and Powdered Vitamin Butter bind the dough and give it the flavor gnocchi needs, and they keep for years.
• Each of those three carries vitamins, minerals, and protein, so a comfort meal does more than fill you up.

---

Potato gnocchi with pesto

Prep time: 25 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the gnocchi:

• 1 cup Nutrient Survival Instant Vitamin Potato
• 2 ½ cups hot water
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tbsp Nutrient Survival Powdered Vitamin Butter, reconstituted (2 tbsp powder + 1 tsp water)
• 2 tbsp Nutrient Survival Powdered Vitamin Eggs, reconstituted (2 tbsp powder + 2 tbsp water)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• A pinch of nutmeg for warmth (optional)

For the pesto:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup Nutrient Survival Powdered Vitamin Butter, reconstituted (4 tbsp powder + 2 tsp water)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Squeeze of lemon juice for brightness (optional)

Instructions

1. Rehydrate the potatoes. In a medium bowl, stir 1 cup of Powdered Vitamin Potato into 2 ½ cups of hot water until smooth.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl, add the reconstituted butter and eggs to the rehydrated potatoes. Mix in the flour and salt until a soft, tender dough forms. If it feels sticky, work in a little more flour.
3. Shape the gnocchi. Flour your work surface. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each into a rope about ¾-inch thick. Cut the ropes into bite-sized pieces. Press each one with a fork to make ridges, which give the pesto something to hold onto.
4. Cook the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Working in small batches, drop the gnocchi in. Once they float, give them 30 seconds more, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.
5. Blend the pesto. While the gnocchi cooks, put the basil, nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and reconstituted butter in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
6. Toss and serve. Coat the warm gnocchi with the pesto and serve right away, with extra Parmesan on top.

---

A few things that help

• Make a double batch and freeze the uncooked gnocchi on a baking sheet, then move them to a freezer bag. Boil them straight from frozen. That is a fast meal on a hard day.
• Mix the dough only until it comes together. Work it too much and the gluten develops, which gives you tough, chewy gnocchi instead of light ones.
• For a different texture, pan-sear the boiled gnocchi in a hot skillet with a little butter or oil until golden and slightly crisp, then toss with the pesto.

Comfort food that keeps

This is a good example of comfort food and a stocked pantry working together. With Instant Vitamin Potato, Powdered Vitamin Eggs, and Powdered Vitamin Butter on the shelf, a plate that tastes like a treat is never more than a boil of water away. Make it once on a quiet night so your hands know the dough. Then it is there when you need it.