Potato gnocchi with oven roasted pumpkin and sage burnt butter sauce

Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional oven/ 180°C fan-forced (400° Fahrenheit/Gas 6).

Wash the potatoes and place in a large pot (unpeeled). Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender all the way through (approximately 30-40 minutes after the water has come to a boil).

Place the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano and sea salt to taste, then toss to coat evenly. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and golden. Turn off the oven, leaving the tray with pumpkin to keep warm.

Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Prepare a medium sized bowl to place the mashed potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half and place cut side down into a potato ricer. Remove the potato skins each time you place a piece of potato into the potato ricer. Alternatively remove the potato skins and mash using a tamis (drum sieve) into a bowl.

Mix the egg yolks into the mashed potato, then add the Parmigiano Reggiano. Gradually stir in the flour one spoon at a time, then transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Work in enough flour and knead gently until a soft, light dough forms.

Divide the dough into four portions. Cover three of the portions with plastic wrap (cling film) to keep them from drying out. Lightly flour the work surface and roll one of the portions into a long rope about 1.5cm in thickness. Cut the rope into gnocchi (approximately 1.5cm in length). Take each piece of gnocchi and roll one at a time down the tines of a fork, letting it drop onto a lightly floured surface at the end. This motion will give the gnocchi their signature ridges. Arrange the gnocchi onto a very well-floured tray. Repeat with the remaining dough.

To make the burnt butter sauce, melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook until the butter starts to brown (approximately 3-4 minutes). Add the chopped and whole sage leaves and cook for 1 minute or until crisp. Remove the sage from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the gnocchi in batches (they will sink to the bottom). Stir gently and cook until the gnocchi float to the surface. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, transferring to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.

Toss the cooked gnocchi in the burnt butter sauce. To serve, spoon the gnocchi and roasted pumpkin into serving bowls, then pour over remaining burnt butter sauce. Top with crispy whole sage leaves and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately – buon appetito.