Gnocchi Two Ways

For the potato gnocchi

Boil the potatoes, starting from cold water. Salt lightly and simmer for about 45 minutes until soft and cooked. Check the potatoes with a wooden skewer – if it penetrates without resistance they are cooked. 

Drain the potatoes and let them steam, covered with a towel, for 15 minutes before peeling them and mashing them with a ricer. You can even mash them with the skin on, as it won’t pass through the ricer. Let the mashed potato cool, and dry on your work surface before kneading, or it will absorb too much flour and you will taste less of the potato.

Knead the potatoes with the sifted flour, the egg, the grated cheese and a touch of salt and nutmeg. 

When smooth and combined, stop kneading it. If overworked it will become gluey. Let the potato dough rest for 20 minutes.

When rested, roll little pieces of the dough with the palm of your hands to create long and thin dough sausages. To do that, press the pieces gently with your hands while rolling and moving your hands apart from each other. 

Dust the dough strips with flour and cut into 2cm logs with a dough scraper or a blunt knife. If you want you can roll them over a gnocchi board or a fork to create a beautiful rigged pattern to collect more sauce. They can be cooked straight away or kept in the fridge in a floured tray for a couple of days. Alternatively, freeze them and boil from frozen.

For the sauce 

Roast the chopped garlic in olive oil in a large pan until golden. Add the 'nduja and let it melt gently. 
Now add the tomatoes, mash them with a wooden spatula, and cook for about 20 minutes. At this stage, season to taste, add the basil and get ready to boil the gnocchi.

To finish

Boil the gnocchi in salted boiling water a handful at a time. They will take about 3 minutes, but they will naturally float to the surface when ready. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce and stir to coat well. 

Serve in bowls and top with fresh basil leaves, a spoon of stracciatella cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

For the pumpkin gnocchi 

Peel and slice the pumpkin as thin as you can. The thinner the slices, the quicker they will cook. 

Line a baking tray with parchment and spread the pumpkin slices over. Season with salt and pepper, add 2 cloves of garlic and a sprig of sage, and drizzle with olive oil. 

Cover with foil, and bake at 160°C for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin slices have completely softened.

Remove the garlic and sage from the pumpkin and blitz in a food processor until smooth. It is very important to let the pumpkin puree drain for a few hours, or even overnight in a fine sieve, to get rid of the excess water and concentrate its flavour.

Mix the pumpkin puree with the sifted flour, eggs and cheese and season to taste. 

Place the puree into a pastry bag and, with the help of a paring knife, cut little dough balls while squeezing the mixture out of the bag over a pot of salted boiling water.

When the gnocchi float on the surface they are cooked and ready to drain.

For the sauce

In a large pan, brown the chopped shallots and sage in butter. Pour in a splash of white wine, let the alcohol evaporate and add the cream. Bring to the boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the cubed gorgonzola cheese. Let it melt very gently and remove from the heat. 

 Loosen the sauce with a ladle of gnocchi cooking water and add the gnocchi. 

Mix well, plate and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.