Squash Gnocchi with Mandarin, Lemon and Saffron sauce with Cavolo Nero and crumbed Roquefort

A different way to make gnocchi, the sweetness of the squash is offset by the citrus and salty Roquefort, it all seems to come together nicely and is not so difficult to make.

Serves 4

Ingredients

About 800 g of squash of your choice
Up to 500 g of fine semolina flour
2 eggs
Large pinch of saffron
1 mandarin
Half a lemon
50 g Roquefort cheese
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 ml boiling water
100 g cavolo nero
Salt and Pepper

How to go about it

First cut the squash into wedges and place on a baking tray and bake for about 25 mins in a hot oven 200° c. It should be still firm but cooked.  While the squash is cooking put the grated rind of the mandarin and lemon in a bowl along with their juice.  Bring the 100 ml of water to the boil and add the saffron, let it infuse for 5 minutes off the heat and then add this to the juice.  Stir in the olive oil, keep this sauce warm until ready to serve.

When squash is cool enough to handle peel off the skin and pass it through a potato ricer or mash it. Mix in 2 eggs and half a teaspoon of salt, a good grinding of black pepper.

Mix in the fine semolina flour until you are able to form it into a thin sausage shape on a heavily floured work surface, cut it into small pieces.

Finely shred the cavolo nero and have ready a frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add gnocchi, give it a gentle stir to make sure it is not stuck on the bottom.  It will cook in 2 - 3 minutes, when it rises to the top take it out with a slotted spoon, you can cook it in batches if you like.

Heat the frying pan on high heat and flash fry the cavolo nero until wilted.   Mix in the citrus and saffron sauce with the gnocchi making sure that it is all coated with it, top with the cavolo nero and crumb over the Roquefort cheese.