Gnocchi with Sage and Pine Nuts

Another reason to move to Italy forever – this hearty potato dish with soothing buttered sage is pure contentment. I like to serve this on a big platter when I have guests, allowing people to tuck in when they feel like it.

Ingredients

• 3 (approx 600g) Sebago potatoes
• 2 red onions, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, whole
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 90g (2⁄3 cup) quinoa flour
• 1 egg
• 100g (1 cup) Parmesan, grated
• pinch of nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons butter or dairy-free
• margarine
• 1⁄3 cup sage leaves
• a handful of pine nuts, toasted

Method

Preheat the oven to 180^oC. Grease and line a baking tray.

Wash and peel the potatoes and boil in lightly salted water. Drain and leave to cool, then mash and set aside.

Place the onion and garlic in the prepared baking tray, drizzle generously with oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes, or until softened and starting to golden.

Combine the mashed potato with the onion, garlic (remove skin after roasting), quinoa flour, egg, Parmesan and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until well combined.

Form the dough into 1 tablespoonful balls. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Drop 3–4 gnocchi at a time into the water, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the gnocchi rises to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest of the gnocchi in batches.

To make the sage butter, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sage and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes until the sage leaves are starting to turn golden.

To Serve

Place the gnocchi onto plates, pour the sage butter over the top and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.

You can freeze the uncooked gnocchi in an airtight container for up to a week.

John Hawkesby’s wine recommendation

Dolcetto

Waimea 2009

Pinot Noir

Amisfield 2009