It’s finally October and it’s time for comforting, easy-to-make recipes that will have everyone asking for seconds. Today, alongside my friends at Hood Cottage Cheese, I am bringing you this recipe for Cottage Cheese Gnocchi. Served with a light and creamy pesto sauce, it’s going to be a weekly addition to our meals this season!
This post is in partnership with HP Hood, who have been great supporters of this site and my work, and I appreciate everyone from brands to readers that support my work while I juggle two other full-time jobs.
As the season winds down, the weather cools, and our schedules become a little more relaxed, I’m looking to get back more and more in the kitchen. This past summer has been a whirlwind – as you know, the restaurant industry has been a chaotic mess since forever, and even more so when you throw it into a pandemic where it’s understaffed. But looking back, as with anything, it teaches us lessons, and the one lesson I learned this season was this: slow down.
Yes, slow down. In an industry where your pride is based on working fast, working hard, I’ve learned that there’s pride in slowing down as well. And that’s the kind of recipe that I wanna focus on today – a simple recipe, easy enough to make in an hour, but one that allows you to slow down and enjoy the process. These Cottage Cheese Gnocchi are just it!
You’re going to need just a few ingredients for this recipe: Hood Cottage Cheese, egg yolks, all-purpose flour, parmesan cheese, and potatoes. Add a little salt and pepper, and you have the base for these gnocchi that can be served with your favorite sauce. Don’t worry, I’ll show you how to make a quick and easy pesto cream sauce that goes so well with these gnocchi!
The main ingredient in these Cottage Cheese Gnocchi is of course – cottage cheese! More specifically, Hood Country Style Cottage Cheese and Cottage Cheese with Chive. All Hood Cottage Cheese flavors are made with real fruit, herbs, and vegetables for the most delicious tasting cottage cheese in the dairy aisle. For flavor reasons, we’re sticking with the Hood Cottage Cheese with Chive and Hood Country Style Cottage Cheese to create this savory dish!
Making gnocchi might seem daunting to the novice cook, but it’s quite simple once you have the instructions and ingredients prepped. The uniqueness of this recipe is that it uses cottage cheese to bind the dough together alongside the egg yolk, which creates a gnocchi dough that is more supple, and ultimately a more delicious gnocchi dish!
To make the gnocchi, you’ll start with the base of russet potatoes, cooked and mashed until fork-tender, and then work in the other ingredients, including the cottage cheese, resulting in a dough that will then be formed into gnocchi. Once boiled in saltwater, this pillow-soft gnocchi is a delightful addition to any dinner.
To showcase these cottage cheese gnocchi, I created a quick and easy pesto cream sauce that goes so well together.
To make pesto cream sauce, simply melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a pan, and add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to form a roux. This helps thicken your sauce and prevents it from breaking. After a minute, pour in about 3/4 cup of Hood Heavy Cream, add 2 tablespoons pre-made pesto, a handful of grated parmesan cheese, and stir together. Toss the gnocchi and serve with an extra dollop of Hood Cottage Cheese with Chive or Original. As the cheese melts, it makes an even creamier sauce, packed with flavor and protein.
This comforting recipe is simple and easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough for a weekend dinner as well!
Print Recipe
Prep Time:30 minutes mins
Cook Time:5 minutes mins
Total Time:35 minutes mins
Ingredients
- ½ cup Hood Country Style Cottage Cheese or Cottage Cheese with Chive
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 large egg yolk
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Boil two large russet potatoes until fork tender. Wait until cool enough to handle then peel and rice with a cheese grater or potato ricer.
In a large mixing bowl, add riced potato, cottage cheese, egg yolk, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.
Add flour and knead until dough forms a ball and all flour is incorporated fully.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Cut dough into 4 pieces with a dough scraper, then roll out into a long thin rope about the width of your pinky. Proceed to cut the rope into 1/2 inch sections.
Roll onto gnocchi board to create deep ridges, about 2 full spins on board. If you don't have a gnocchi board, you can use a fork.
Boil water with salt, then drop the gnocchi in. Once they begin to float they are done, about two to three minutes.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Author: Marnely Murray
Disclaimer: This post was in partnership with Hood Cottage Cheese! Thank you for supporting brands that make it possible for me to bring you this delicious content.
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