Pumpkins and squash are magical members of the autumn Edible Playground, and this recipe works with either. You’ll also need some of your main crop potatoes. Making fresh pasta like this gnocchi is great hands-on fun, and the result is so much better than dried pasta from the supermarket.
Ingredients
Per pair of children
1 medium (125g) floury potato
150g of pumpkin or squash
6 tablespoons (75g) of all-purpose flour and extra for dusting
Small chunk of parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of chopped garden herbs such as basil, coriander or chives
75g of butter
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
01If you’re making lots you’ll need to keep each batch warm so preheat the oven to 250f/120c/gas mark 1 and put in an ovenproof dish
02Peel the potatoes, then cut in to bite-sized chunks and boil in a saucepan until just tender
03Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds then chop the flesh into little chunks
04Steam the pumpkin using a steamer or in a covered saucepan with 1cm deep water (checking the water level during cooking) – it should take about 10 minutes to cook
05Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave them there to dry
06Grate the parmesan cheese into a bowl, then chop the herbs and put them to one side
07Lightly dust the work surface with flour, then squish the potato and pumpkin through a potato ricer or large holed sieve onto the surface
08Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and add a pinch of salt
09Quickly and gently mix the flour and vegetables, and knead lightly into smooth dough
10Roll the dough into 2 sausages about 2-3cm wide, then cut into 2cm chunks and put them on a floured baking tray
11Boil a large saucepan of water and drop in the gnocchi a few at a time – they are done when they rise to the surface (after about 3 minutes)
12Put the gnocchi in the dish in the oven, scattering over the cheese
13Just before eating, put the gnocchi in a bowl and toss with the butter and chopped herbs
