Chicken and Pesto Gnocchi

One of my favorite things to make is fresh pasta. It puts store bought pasta to shame. I don't always make our own pasta but when I am craving fettuccine, I tend to make our own. I'm not one of those crazy people that makes their own lasagna noodles or their own rigatoni. I buy those. Because the hours I would spend making them is a lot more valuable than the 1.50$ I would spend on the boxed stuff.*end rant.
You can ask Blake, I have made gnocchi twice in my life. The first time, it was a GIANT failure. Likely the worst cooking failure of my life.  It turned out chalky and hard and I thought it was pretty inedible. The second time was last week and it was delicious and fluffy and did I mention delicious?  There are a few things to discuss before you make this recipe.

1. The less time you spend handling the gnocchi, the fluffier it will be. So, basically, don't fondle your gnocchi.
2. How you cook your potatoes will change the amount of flour you add. If you choose to microwave or use and oven to bake your potatoes, you will add LESS flour. If you boil them whole, you will need to add more flour and if you slice them and then boil them, you need to add even more flour. The reasoning being more water is absorbed if you boil your potatoes versus baking them in the microwave or in the oven. I prefer to boil them because I find that the recipe works a little better. (The first time I made gnocchi I baked the potatoes. Never again)
3. Don't add all the flour at once. Start with 1 cup of flour and then add a little more. The gnocchi dough will be soft but should not be tacky. you should be able to roll it out into ropes without having to add a ton of flour to the surface you are working on. It's easier to add more flour than to take it away.
4. Cook your gnocchi in salted water until they float. DO NOT OVERCOOK! This is when they become tough and gross. Take them out right when they float and put in in your favorite sauce. If you have a sauce simmering, just coat the gnocchi and serve. You don't need to keep them in there for long.

Now, if you're ready, go and make some gnocchi!

Chicken and pesto gnocchi
serves 4, or 2 really hungry people

3 small potatoes or 2 large potatoes
1-2c of flour
1 egg
1/8c olive oil
1 cup of chicken ( I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 clove of garlic, minced

Cook potatoes. Mash with a fork or potato masher. DO NOT BLEND as if you are making mashed potatoes. The gnocchi will NOT turn out. I  made this mistake when I made gnocchi the first time. In a large bowl add the egg and 1 cup of flour. Add,what should be 1 cup of cooked potatoes (measure it out if you're more comfortable doing that) to the flour and egg mixture. Mix together incorporating the flour into the potato. add more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Once the dough is smooth, remove from the bowl and cut into 4 or 5 pieces. Roll into about 8 inch ropes and cut the gnocchi into 1/4 inch thick slices. Boil in salted water until they float. About 3 minutes.  In a pan over medium heat, add the chicken, olive oil and pesto. Heat through and add gnocchi. Toss to coat and serve.