- 300g/10½oz King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 60g/2¼oz plain flour
- 40g/1½oz parmesan cheese (or a similar vegetarian hard cheese), finely grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 100g/3½oz baby spinach leaves
- 150ml/5fl oz vegetable stock
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 50g/2oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 small broccoli head, cut into small florets, blanched and refreshed
- 110g/4oz plain flour
- 110g/4oz cornflour
- 150-200ml/5-7fl oz sparkling water
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- For the gnocchi, place the potatoes on a baking tray and bake in the oven for an hour.
- When cooked, scoop out the potato flesh and pass through a potato ricer into a mixing bowl, or mash very thoroughly.
- Add the flour, parmesan and one tablespoon of olive oil. Beat together until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Use your hands to bring the dough together and roll it into long sausage shape. Cut into 2-3cm/¾-1¼in length pieces.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface (approximately one minute). Do not crowd the pan – you may need to cook the gnocchi in batches.
- Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat the process with any remaining dough.
- Heat a frying pan until hot then add the remaining olive oil. Add the gnocchi and fry until golden-brown. Set aside.
- For the spinach and broccoli sauce, heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the pan and cook for three minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for one minute. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for one minute, or until spinach wilts.
- Add the stock and cook for four minutes, then add the cream and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Mix the cooked gnocchi into the sauce.
- For the deep-fried broccoli, heat a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F, or until a cube of bread sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into the oil.
- In a bowl, mix the plain flour and cornflour with the sparkling water. Dip the broccoli florets into the batter.
- Add the broccoli florets to the hot oil and fry until crisp. Carefully remove the broccoli using a slotted spoon. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, place the warm gnocchi and sauce in serving bowls with the fried broccoli on top.