Potato Gnocchi With Spinach, Orange and Pine Nuts

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

• 500g roasting (floury) potatoes
• 85g plain (all-purpose) flour

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• finely grated zest and juice of one orange
• 125g baby English spinach
• 3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• freshly shaved parmesan cheese, to serve
  

Method

• To make the gnocchi, cut the unpeeled potatoes into uniform pieces, roughly the size of a lemon. Arrange in a single layer in a large steamer and cover with a lid. Set the steamer over a saucepan or wok of boiling water and steam for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not breaking up ( you can boil the potatoes if you would prefer, doesn’t take as long ). Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. This helps to give a dry, light-textured dough.

• Peel the potatoes and cut out any blemishes. Mash in a large brown using a potato masher or ricer (don’t do this in a blender or food processor as this will result in a starchy puree that wont form a light dough). Add a large pinch of salt and half the flour. With clean hands, lightly work it into the potatoes. When you have a mix dry enough to clump together, add the remaining flour and work it in to give a soft dough that is damp, but doesn't stick to your fingers. Transfer to a floured surface and lightly knead until it is smooth. Rest the dough for 5 minutes.


• Pull off one-quarter of the dough and roll it with your hands to a long rope about the thickness of your thumb. Cut this into 3 cm lengths. You can leave the gnocchi either as it is, or roll each one in your hands into an egg shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.


• Put the olive oil, butter, orange zest and orange juice in a large frying pan over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove from the head and reserve.
  Spread the gnocchi single layer in a large steamer and cover with a lid. Sit the steamer over a saucepan or wok of boiling water and steam for 5 minutes, or until the gnocchi are cooked. They will be slightly sticky on the outside at this stage so lightly flour your hands. Transfer to the frying pan and stir over medium head to coat the gnocchi in the butter sauce. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.


• Add the spinach, increase the heat and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Add the pine nuts and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


• Serve at once with parmesan shavings.