Kūmara gnocchi with garlic cream

1. Place the kūmara in a large pot of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through and tender when tested. Drain, then leave to cool. Once cool, peel the skins off the kumara and put through a ricer or mash in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle the flour and a pinch of salt into the kūmara, then mix gently until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured benchtop and briefly knead the dough into a smooth ball, adding more flour if necessary. Cut the ball into 8 even-sized pieces and roll each piece into a long rope, around 2cm thick. Cut each rope into even-sized pieces, then lightly dust with flour; placing them onto a floured tray or benchtop. 
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi in two batches and cook until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss in a light drizzle of olive oil in a bowl to prevent the gnocchi from sticking.
4. Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Pan fry the gnocchi in two batches until golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the garlic to the same pan and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the cream, parmesan and baby spinach and cook while stirring until the sauce has thickened. Return the gnocchi to the pan, then season to taste and serve.

Master chef-inspired tip

Add a chef’s spin to this dish with a delightfully peppery homemade rocket pesto! Blend two packed cups of fresh rocket, ¼ cup almonds and ¼ cup grated parmesan in a food processor, then season with salt and pepper. Slowly stream in ¼ cup of olive oil while the food processor is running, then drizzle over the gnocchi to serve.