Pumpkin gnocchi with sage and seasonal mushrooms

Pumpkin gnocchi with sage and seasonal mushrooms

This devilish dish is great served with some lovely crunchy bread and a lively green salad.

Serves 4

Preparation time 60 minutes

Cooking time 75 minutes

Ingredients

1kg pumpkin or butternut squash from Paul Wheeler (Fresh Supplies) Ltd

1 egg

450g plain flour plus extra for dusting

11/2 teaspoon nutmeg

125g Parmesan, finely grated

25g butter

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

200g seasonal mushrooms, sliced

250g mascarpone from Gastronomica

100g blue cheese

50g white bread from the Flour Station

Preparation Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Cut the pumpkin into wedges, scrape out and discard the seeds then place the pumpkin on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes until the flesh is tender.

When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh from the skin then pass through a mouli mill or whizz in a processor. Mix together with the egg, nutmeg, plain flour and 75g of the Parmesan. It should all come together in a soft dough.

Break off pieces of the dough about the size of a large grape, roll between the floured palms of your hands then place on to a floured surface. It will be a little sticky, but better that, as too much flour can make the gnocchi heavy. Do this with all  the dough. Dust the gnocchi with a little flour then press with the tines of a fork, flattening the dumplings and making indents which will capture the sauce nicely when you eat!

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the gnocchi in 3 or 4 batches. Carefully drop them  into the water,they will sink to the bottom andwhen they are cooked they will bob up to the surface. This will probably take 2-3 minutes. Scoop them out and place in an oven proof dish. Save 200ml of the cooking water.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4. Melt the butter and add the shallots. Cook them gently until they are tender. Turn the heat up and add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan, cooking them until they just start to soften.

Spoon in the mascarpone and also the reserved cooking water. Season generously and warm until the mascarpone makes a smooth sauce. Pour over the gnocchi.

Crumble over the blue cheese, and tear the bread into small pieces and scatter that over too. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan then bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.