Instead of the usual boiling method, these light as air gnocchi are baked in the oven with cherry tomatoes and Parmesan.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
400 grams spinach or silverbeet, stems removed
400 grams firm ricotta
2 tablespoons pine nuts, roasted and roughly chopped
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup fresh white breadcrumbs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 400 gram tin cherry tomatoes
Parmesan for grating
4-5 cup capacity ovenproof baking dish, lightly greased
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Gnocchi: Cook the spinach or silverbeet in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and refresh in cold water then drain again. Place in a clean tea towel, roll up and squeeze out all the excess water. It’s important the greens are dry or the gnocchi will fall apart. Chop finely and place in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients, season and combine well. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Place half the sauce in the baking dish.
To cook: Scoop golf ball-sized spoons of the mixture into your hand and gently squeeze together into a rough oval shape. You should get about 20 gnocchi. Place in the baking dish and spoon the remaining sauce around the gnocchi. Grate over a generous amount of Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve with a salad and crusty rolls.

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