Swede and sage gnocchi with hazelnut pesto recipe

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Boil 500g of the swede for 25-30 mins until tender, then drain and leave to steam for 10 mins.
2. Meanwhile, put the remaining swede on a baking tray and toss with 1 tsp oil. Roast for 20-25 mins until tender and golden, then set aside. Roast the hazelnuts on a separate baking tray for 8-10 mins until deep golden. Set aside to cool, then roughly chop.
3. Using a wooden spoon, pass the boiled swede through a sieve into a large mixing bowl and mix with the sage, flour, 20g pecorino and the egg yolk: season. Leave to stand for 5 mins. The dough will be quite sticky but that's fine.
4. Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to the boil. Using floured hands, put half the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a few long sausages, around 1cm thick. Cut into 3cm pieces and transfer to the boiling water. Once the gnocchi float to the surface, cook for 1 min, then scoop out using a slotted spoon and transfer to a large mixing bowl with 1 tbsp of the oil. Toss to coat and cover the bowl with a tea towel to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining dough, adding to the bowl once cooked. Reserve the cooking water.
5. Mix the chopped hazelnuts, garlic, remaining olive oil and pecorino in a bowl: season lightly. Spoon over the cooked gnocchi and roasted swede, adding a splash of cooking water (start with 50ml) to loosen the pesto. Divide between 4 shallow bowls and top with extra grated pecorino and fried sage leaves, if you like.
6. For crispy fried sage leaves, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add 12 sage leaves and fry for 15-20 secs until crisp.

See more Gnocchi recipes

Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Once the dish has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container, seal and freeze for up to 1-3 months. To serve, defrost thoroughly in the fridge overnight before reheating. Loosely cover with foil and bake until dish is thoroughly heated through. Reheat until piping hot.