Try this homemade pasta made from all local ingredients! Use potatoes, farm-fresh eggs, and your choice of flour to create delicious fluffy pillows. Toss these pillows in rich herbaceous pesto made with WY-grown pumpkin or sunflower seeds and pair them with an unctuous meatball for a complete indulgent meal.
Potato Gnocchi
Fluffy pasta pillows made with baked mashed potatoes!
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- spider strainer or colander
Ingredients
- 500 g Potato
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 10 g salt
- 4 each egg yolks
- 125 g flour try WHG White Sonora or GF Harvest Oat Flour for GF
Instructions
- Bake potatoes, skin-on, oiled salt and peppered, pricked with a fork at 350F for 45 min -1 hr. remove from oven once inserted knife, removes cleanly. Cover in foil and let cool just enough to handle. Peel potatoes and add to stand mixer immediately, still warm is important.
- Add butter and salt to warm peeled potatoes and mash together with stand mixer or preferred mashing method, this should to too hot to do by hand.
- Once well blended and without chunks, add in egg yolks and mix until together without stripes. (If you wish to premake and save, wrap this mixture and store in an airtight wrap or vaccuum bag in the fridge or freezer until ready to make.)
- When mixture is cool to the touch, add in flour and knead until it forms a soft bouncy cohesive dough.
- Wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Remove from fridge and flour the dough, well. Split into four sections and roll out each section into ¾" cylinders. Cut into ½" pieces and flour well.
- Cook in salted boiling water in handful sized batches, stirring frequently until the pasta floats to the surface. Strain out and toss in melted butter/oil, or sauce and serve immediately.
- Save extra portions tossed in oil and chilled. Saute your favorite veggies and greens in garlic butter, add gnocchi until lightly browned to reheat. try tossing in Squash Sauce, Zero Waste Greens Pesto, or a Fall Vegetable Ragout.
Pork Meatballs
Simple Italian-style meatballs that pair with your favorite sauce as an appetizer or main dish.
Equipment
- portion scoop
- oven, grill, or smoker
Ingredients
- 3 lb Ground Pork also try pork sausage and adjust seasoning accordingly
- ½ each Onion, small diced
- 4 each Garlic Cloves, smashed & rough chopped
- 2 each whole eggs
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp Ground Fennel
- 2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes adjust to your spice preference
- 2 Tbsp salt consider adding a smoked salt if baking.
- 1 Tbsp crackd black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients by hand just until blended well. Do not use a mixer or food processor as this will change the fat and protein structure of the meat.
- Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
- Portion into 2 oz sized spheres and place on a lightly greased tray.
- Sear on the grill or in a saute pan if desired. Bake or smoke at 350 for 20 minutes until just done all the way through. Take care not to overcook as the meatball will dry out.
- Serve with your favorite sauce and Italian-style starch as an entree.
Zero Waste Greens Pesto
Equipment
- blender or mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 2 gallon bags of cleaned destemmed Carrot Tops Kale, Broccoli Greens (Any combination)
- 4 cups Arugula
- 2 cups Basil leaves
- 1 cup Parsley leaves
- ¾ cup Sunflower butter or 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2-3 T Garlic cloves smashed
- 2 T Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 2 T Honey or agave
- 2 cups Olive oil
- to taste Salt and black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese Optional:
Instructions
- Tougher greens (carrot tops, kale, broccoli…) need to be placed in a strainer and boiled in salted water for 3-5 minutes and chilled in an ice water bath immediately. Remove once cool directly into a blender or food processor.
- Add all other ingredients except Olive oil (and cheese if adding). For pesto with a chunky texture, pulse mixture while gradually adding oil ¼ cup at a time until combined. For a smooth texture add ½ cup of oil and turn on blender or immersion blender and drizzle remaining oil slowly to emulsify.
- If adding, fold in shredded cheese and pulse to desired consistency. Add 1 T salt and pepper and allow to meld for 5 minutes.
- Taste check and add salt and pepper as needed. Also check the balance of sweetness, acidity, and mouthfeel of the oil with the texture.
- Store up to 3 weeks in refrigerator or water bath can and seal for 10 minutes for shelf stable storage up to 1 year(without dairy products or nut oils)
Notes
Swirl with mascarpone cheese and serve with toasted baguette as an appetizer.Toss with fresh cooked pasta and add a small amount of pasta cooking water.Use as a pizza sauce with fresh cherry tomatoes and a fresh mozzarella.Toss salad greens for a lovely salad.Marinade chicken or steak before grilling.