Creamy Green Garlic & Avocado Pesto Over Gnocchi

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

The basil they had at the market was called “sacred basil.” It was flowering, so it was too pretty not to buy. I blended these items in my food processor with avocado (for added creaminess), plus parmesan cheese, olive oil and salt. I substituted the usual pine nuts for sunflower seeds since they are much less expensive and still very tasty.

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado, pit removed and flesh scraped from the skin
3 bulbs of green garlic, with a bit of the green stalk (substitute 3 cloves of garlic if you can't find this)
1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed)
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan, plus extra to serve
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (roasted and salted), plus extra to serve
A pinch of coarse salt
2 (16-ounce) packages gnocchi

Instructions

Blend the avocado, green garlic, basil, parmesan, olive oil, sunflower seeds, and salt in a blender until smooth.
Cook the gnocchi according to package instructions. Drain and combine the gnocchi with the pesto. Enjoy right away, garnished with sunflower seeds and parmesan shavings.