Parisienne Gnocchi with Garlic Scape Pesto

About six months ago I began compiling a list of recipes I wanted to make that I thought the blog readers (as in YOU) would enjoy. Some I’d made before, some were inspired by dishes I’d tried in restaurants, and some were simply recipes I’d come across in magazines.

This recipe for Parisienne gnocchi was at the top of the list. I had only made it once before in culinary school but it stuck with me because of how simple it was to prepare and how great and versatile the flavors were.

I remember being surprised when I first read the recipe years ago. “This isn’t gnocchi,” was my reaction, seeing as it wasn’t made from potatoes like traditional Italian gnocchi is. I later learned that Parisienne gnocchi is made from a pâte à choux dough, similar to one used in profiteroles or cream puffs, and yields light and fluffy dumplings that are just delicious.

Today I finally got the courage to tackle my shelf of overstuffed  binders leftover from my culinary schools days and found the recipe. I didn’t change it aside from substituting minced garlic scapes and basil for tarragon and chives, but basically you can use any combination of fresh herbs (I’m thinking rosemary and mint next time).

In case you’re not familiar with them, garlic scapes are green curly stalks that grow from the garlic bulb. Farmer’s cut them off so that the garlic bulbs can continue to grow and become plump. They’re only available for a short time in the Spring and have a strong garlic flavor that isn’t as potent as the bulbs.

This really is a terrific recipe. I served it with Dorie Greenspan’s Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto (I’d bought a big bag of garlic scapes at the farmer’s market), but feel free to use any type of light sauce (i.e. white wine, butter, etc.). However, I really liked the gnocchi with the pesto, especially because I used garlic scapes in both. The garlic flavor of Dorie’s pesto was strong but not harsh, and it helped to thin out the pesto with equal parts gnocchi cooking liquid.

And the best part is most of the work can be done in advance, making Parisienne Gnocchi with Garlic Scape Pesto ideal for entertaining! The gnocchi even freezes well.

Here are the recipes:

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