Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage & Butter sauce

I tried this recipe out with a couple of girlfriends the other week - it was SO good, I just HAD to make it again for Mr Nik. And maaaan, it was still good the second time round - it's now my favouritest gnocchi recipe in the world.

Serve this with a chilled glass of rosé, followed by a coconut panna cotta for dessert [recipe in the next post].

Ingredients:
- 1x hokkaido pumpkin [aka Red Kuri Squash - they look like a giant orange onion]
- pinch of sea salt

- 1 large eggyolk
- 100g flour, extra for dusting the board
- freshly ground nutmeg
- 50-75 g butter
- 15-20 mid-sized sage leaves
- freshly ground black pepper
- grated parmesan
- pancetta [Everything tastes better with pancetta!! But here, the saltiness complements the sweetness of the gnocchi perfectly.]
[- optional: roasted and coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds]

Making the dough:
1. Hollow and cut pumpkin into finger-thick slices. Sprinkle some sea salt and place on baking sheet and roast until soft.
2. Once ready, cut away tough skin and blend until puréed. Season to taste. Add some freshly grounded nutmeg.

3. Add egg yolk and flour, blending quickly with a fork or wooden spoon. [The dough should be a little sticky - don't be tempted to add more flour - that'll just made the gnocchi heavy. You'll want this light and fluffy.]

Forming the gnocchi:
Generously flour a wooden surface as well as hands. Take a large tablespoon of dough in floured hands and carefully form this lump of dough into a finger-thick sausage. Cut into pillows using a knife and place the gnocchi on a place dusted with flour.

In the meantime, place some pancetta [on a baking sheet] in the oven and let it cook until crispy.

Once ready, just bring a large pot of water to the boil - reduce heat when lightly bubbling, add a generous pinch of salt and place gnocchi in with a quick stir to stop it sticking to the pot. Since they're freshly made, they'll only take 5mins [max] but you'll know they're ready when they float to the top.

Making the sauce:
1. Wash and pat the sage leaves dry. Stack and cut them into thin shreds [or chiffonades - but that just sounds so poncy] .
2. Melt the butter slowly on pan [low-medium heat!! trust me, I burnt the butter at my first attempt].
3. Add the sage and sauté until crisp.

Grate some parmesan after spooning over the butter sage sauce.

4. Spoon over the cooked and drained gnocchi.

Place the crispy pancetta on top - et voilá!! ^_^

Long time no post. Bad Miso, Bad!

 So it's official. I suck at posting. But all it doesn't mean I've lost my interest in food. It's pretty safe to say that if only I stopped eating, I might actually stand a better chance at getting things done. Like blogging and knitting [that's my next project. I want to prepare for winter!]...

So what have I been eating these past few months? Well, here are some highlights. Some homemade experiments, some from my travels and some were lovingly made for me [by Mr Nik, no less]. Prepare to be hungry...

:: Experiments at home ::

Chilli Beef Mein [homemade]

Summery Sausage, apple and veg salad [homemade] 
 Really need to try and remember the recipes for these and keep them here...

:: TUSCANY ::

In August, Mr Nik and I took our appetites to Tuscany to celebrate our First Anniversary [Yay!! ^_^] EVERY meal we had there was great without exception. But some, were just remarkable. Especially, at Osteria di Passignano. It was SO good, we went there twice. Exceptional service, exceptional wine list and truly truly great food.

We tried both the wine and degustazione menus - both were divine. The wines that came with each dish blew. our. minds. Needless to say, we were rather sloshed by the time we left. But not before we made friends with the staff there! After Mr Nik discovered the Mâitre D' was a fellow Metallica fan and bass-player, I knew we were there for the long haul. Well, here are the pics from one of our memorable visits. It gets progressively blurry as the nights goes on...

Appetizer: Olive oil butter [Genius!]. Local pommodoro tomato paste. Homebaked crostinis.

Millefeuille of bluefish and zucchini, with thyme-salted 'babá', potato and anchovy foam.

Roast vegetable and burrata lasagna on basil pesto. 

Will defo attempt to recreate this at some point, so watch this space!

Rabbit loin stuffed with olives, rabbit thigh with peach, all served on a potato rosti.

Succulent roasted pigeon breast, thigh stuffed with its liver and served on a berry salad.

Cheese platter with a selection of honey, complemented with fruit bread.

When in Tuscany, it would be a sin to miss the local Pici [or Pinci - depending on which end of the road you're at]. It a handmade pasta that is specific to the region - it's essentially thick udon noodles made with wheat flour. Here's one of the best plates of Pici served with a sausage meat ragu - enjoyed in Montepulciano - with a tasty glass of Brunello Riserva on the side. Heaven, this was.

 Pici with sausage meat ragu.

Needless to say, we ate and drank A LOT whilst in Tuscany. Since we couldn't take all the food and wine back with us, we took instead, the knowledge from our numerous wine-tasting sessions and the skills we gained from the cooking class we lucked in on.

Cooking class where we learnt to make the following:

Panzanella. Ricotta and aubergine ravioli. Saffron risotto. Tuscan roast chicken with twice roasted potatoes and my new favourite dessert - panna cotta! 

Wine cellars - wine wombs rooms.