Baked cheesy spinach gnocchi

Serves 4

• 500g gnocchi
• olive oil
• 2 banana shallots peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and
• finely chopped
• 250g spinach washed

• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 x 150ml tub sour cream
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 75g freshly grated parmesan
• a small handful of sage leaves

1. Have ready a medium ovenproof dish (for example, an oval gratin dish measuring about 25cm at the top and around 20cm at the base). Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for the gnocchi. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large pan over a medium heat and gently fry the shallots for a couple of minutes until softened, stirring frequently, and adding the garlic halfway through.
2. Add the spinach, season and stir until it wilts and starts to exude juices. Tip the contents of the pan into a blender and liquidise with the sour cream and a grating of nutmeg. Return the sauce to a small saucepan, stir in two thirds of the parmesan, taste for seasoning and gently reheat.
3. Preheat the grill, add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or as instructed, then drain them in a colander. Return these to the pan and toss with the hot sauce, then tip everything into the gratin dish. Scatter over the remaining parmesan, toss the sage leaves with just enough oil to coat and scatter these over, then pop under the grill until lightly golden and sizzling. Serve straight away.

ON THE SIDE A crisp green salad complements this perfectly.