Quick and Easy Gnocchi

Historically I have never really been a big fan of gnocchi - it can be a bit rubbery or chewy if not made correctly - but then I saw a recipe which really simplified the process of making it at home and here we are... it's heavenly!

This is the sort of dish you can whip up in around 20 minutes but it hits every stop you didn't know you had in terms of comfort and flavour and it's even impressive enough for the most sophisticated of dinner parties. I used tenderstem broccoli as it's in season at the moment but feel free to swap it out for asparagus or even peas, if you fancy.

Quick and Easy Gnocchi

Serves 2

oil

400g floury potatoes 
350g tenderstem broccoli 
50g plain flour
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
50g Parmesan cheese

extra virgin olive oil (to serve, optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the potatoes, chop into 3cm chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, line up the tenderstem, trim off the ends, then slice the stalks 1cm thick, leaving the tops whole. 

Drain the potatoes and steam dry for 2 minutes, then return to the pan and mash well. Taste and season to liberally with sea salt and black pepper, then tip on to a clean work surface. Fill the empty pan with boiling kettle water and place on a high heat. 

Use your hands to scrunch the flour with the potato, then divide into 24 pieces. Squeeze each in your palm to compress, into little uneven gnocchi, then drop into the boiling water for 1 minute, or until they float. 

Meanwhile, put the broccoli into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle over the dried herbs, then use a slotted spoon to add the gnocchi straight in. Finely grate over most of the Parmesan and toss well, adding 100ml of the gnocchi cooking water to emulsify it into a nice sauce. 

Taste, season to taste, then dish up. Grate over the remaining Parmesan and finish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.