Photography Luisa Brimble, Styling Olivia Blackmore
Inspired by cacio e pepe, the Roman pasta dish which heroes parmesan and pasta, our gnocchi recipe twist unites the pasta with the sweetness of pumpkin and the earthiness of kale in the classic sauce we love. To make this recipe suitable for strict vegetarians, use a parmesan-style cheese made from non-animal rennet.
Ingredients
Method
Heat oil in a large camp oven or saucepan over medium-high heat; cook pumpkin, turning, 8 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep warm.
Fill same pan with water and season with salt (it’s not necessary to clean it); bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook the gnocchi and kale for 3 minutes or until tender. Reserve 1 cup (250ml) cooking water; drain well.
To make the sauce, place butter and black pepper in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook for 1 minute or until pepper is fragrant. Add drained gnocchi mixture, lemon juice and reserved cooking water; stir vigorously to emulsify.
Remove pan from the heat. Sprinkle over parmesan; stand for 1 minute then stir vigorously again until the sauce is smooth. Stir in pumpkin and season to taste. Serve immediately. Top with more parmesan if you like.
You can swap kale for another type of leafy green, spinach or rocket, if preferred.
Test Kitchen tip
Making gnocchi from scratch
While ready-made gnocchi offers fantastic week-night convenience, when you do have time, and a kitchen to work in, why not try channelling your inner Nonna to make it from scratch? After all, it is well worth the effort of making the real deal potato gnocchi, which is a surprisingly simple and a therapeutic process that will give you an incomparable texture and taste. You’ll thank us! For a hedonistic experience to round out your gnocchi meal, try crowd-pleasing tiramisu or another Italian dessert. For a lighter approach, pair the gnocchi with a bitter green salad and finish with a fruit salad.
