This is a very special recipe to my family and I. I had a cousin called Bec who I grew up with, and she was my very best friend. She lived next door and we did absolutely everything together, sadly we lost her at age 19 to cancer.
She LOVED to cook, and we used to make all sorts of delicious things together all the time. One night my sister, Bec and I all went to an Italian cooking class in South Yarra, I remember making all sorts of delicious treats, but the one that stands out the most was this recipe for pumpkin and ricotta gnocchi, we all loved it and made it together many many times before we lost Bec, and of course many times since then. Its somehow taken on the name 'Bec's Gnocchi", as every-time we make it or eat it, it reminds us of her, and brings a big smile to our faces... and its SO bloody delicious, it would be hard not to.
I have included some photos of the recipe below in Bec's handwriting, this is the one I always use, but I have typed it out so its a bit more clear. I highly suggest you all make it.
PUMPKIN AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI, AKA, BECS GNOCCHI - RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE GNOCCHI
300g Roasted Butternut Pumpkin
750g Ricotta
200g Plain Flour
2 Egg Yolks
Salt and Pepper
1 Pinch Nutmeg
FOR THE SAUCE
50g Butter
1 small red onion, sliced
1tbsp finely chopped garlic
15g Parsley Stalks and 2 tablespoons of parsley leaves
240ml Dry White Wine
480ml Double Cream
115g red of green Swiss chard leaves, or spinach leaves (I usually just use a handful or two of spinach leaves)
4 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan
100g crispy prosciutto
METHOD
FOR THE GNOCCHI
Preheat over to 200degrees.
Place pumpkin on a baking tray and dry roast for 15/20 minutes or until golden.
In a kitchen aid place ricotta, hot roast pumpkin, egg yolks, flour, nutmeg and salt and pepper - mix through until combined well.
Bring a pot of well salted water to the boil.
Place the mixture into a large piping bag to pipe gnocchi into the water, pieces should be approx. 2.5cms thick. Use a bamboo skewer to sever the gnocchi mixture from the bag.
Gnocchi is cooked when it floats to the top of the water.
FOR THE SAUCE
Melt half the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.
Add onions, garlic and parsley stalks, cook for about 4 minutes or until softened.
Add the wine, and bring to the boil, then reduce to about 1/3 of the original volume.
Add the cream and reduce again until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Add the swiss chard or spinach leaves, and half the parmesan cheese.
Cook over a moderate heat for 3/4 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the gnocchi, and add the remaining parmesan, crumbled crispy prosciutto and parsley leaves.
Serve and ENJOY!!
L xx
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