Pumpkin Gnocchi with Creamy Blue Cheese, Proscuitto and Silverbeet(Chard)

Making gnocchi is very easy. Pumpkin gnocchi can be a little more difficult to make than either the traditional potato or the spinach and ricotta version as the dough/paste is quite soft and harder to handle. Dry roasting the pumpkin is a good way to reduce some of the moisture that would occur with steaming and  little more flour may be needed to enable the dough to be rolled and cut. A delicious vegatarian version can be made by omitting the proscuitto and tossing through some walnuts that have been broken up, and toasted pine nuts or almond slivers.

I usually make a lot of the gnocchi, cook them and then freeze half for another time. I put the cooked and drained gnocchi into a dish and lightly coat them with oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Pumpkin Gnocchi
200 g pumpkin, dry roasted
1 egg yolk
plain flour, approx 100g, plus extra for kneading and rolling

 Dry roast pumpkin and allow to cool slightly.

Mash with fork.

Add egg yolk and flour.

Stir/ mix well to form a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a floured bench/board. If very sticky use a little more flour.

Gently knead dough and shape into a ball.

Divide dough into two equal portions

Roll dough into long sauasages approximately 2 cm in diameter. Use a little more flour if necessary.

Cut each roll into small pieces approximately 1.5 cm long or bigger if preferred.

Cook in boiling water until firm and gnocchi float to the top of the water. They cook very quickly, a few minutes will be enough.

Gently remove from water with a slotted spoon.

Put cooked gnocchi into prepared sauce.



Creamy Blue Cheese, Proscuitto and Silverbeet (Chard) Sauce

50 g mild blue cheese
100g proscuitto, chopped into small pieces
150 ml pouring cream or light cream
150 ml light sour cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 silverbeet leaves, finely shredded or a couple of handfuls of baby spinach

Put blue cheese, garlic, both creams and proscuitto into a saucepan. Cook on low heat until cheese melts and mixture reaches boiling point.

Add chopped silverbeet and cooked gnocchi.

Bring mixture back to boil, remove from heat and serve.

Top with some additional parmesan cheese and 'tuck in'.