This year has been a bit of a cooking lull for me. At the end of the day, or even at the end of a week, or on the weekends, where it seems there should be a bit of a pause, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time or unspent energy to try out new recipes or experiment with anything that takes more than 20 minutes to make. I get the sense that this mood is shared by many folks, and that the same burned-out sensation is being felt collectively.

I think it’s about a sense of being stuck in survival mode, of just trying to sustain and get through the day. For me, when it comes to food and cooking, that means leaning into easy comfort foods – there’s been so much pasta consumption lately! The ever-increasing price of groceries hasn’t helped this either. And it really did seem to be an interminably long and difficult winter.

Does the sight of budding trees and flowers, and the mild temperatures stir up any sense of motivation, of ease and relaxation? It’s still earlier in this easier of seasons, but I have felt a returning urge to cook again. This recipe came up out of that urge and I hope that it stirs up a bit of culinary curiosity for you all. Also, note that the choice to use cashews as opposed to pine nuts was mostly an economical one, but it does produce a creamier and nuttier pesto which I quite like.

Ingredients (makes 4-5 servings)
185 grams (or 3/4 cup) of cashews, soaked in boiling water.
1 bunch of green kale, destemmed and chopped
2 red Bell Peppers, chopped
1/4 cup vegan parmesan plus more for topping (I used Earth Island)
2 tsp of salt
1/2 +1/4 cup of olive oil+1 tbsp for frying
1/4 cup water
4 vegan sausages, chopped.
2 300g package of vegan gnocchi (I used Olivieri’s gnocchi)

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl together, add the chopped kale, the 2 bell peppers, and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Stir until the kale and peppers are coated. Spread the mixture out evenly on a baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
2. Make the pesto. In a blender or food processor, add in the bake kale peppers mixture, along with 1/4 cup parmesan and 2 tsp of salt. Pulse while slowly adding in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and then do the same for the 1/4 cup of water. Blend until the pesto is smooth and creamy.
3. In a frying pan, heat up 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat.  Once the pan is warm, add the chopped sausage and cook for 10-12 minutes until crisp. Cooking time may vary depending on the brand of sausage you’re using. I used Beyond Meat sausages.
4. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil.  Reduce to medium heat and add the gnocchi. Cook for 4-5 minutes. You can tell the gnocchi is done when it rises to surface of the water.
5. Drain the water from the gnocchi pot, and add in the sausage and pesto.
6. Top with additional parmesan and serve!