Pumpkin gnocchi with pancetta and herb sauce

Description:
An indulgent flavour without the cream goes well with this easy to prepare gnocchi.

Main ingredients:
Dairy, Cheese, Pasta & Noodles, Pork, Spice, Garlic

Cuisine:
Italian

Ingredients:
Knob butter
4 leaves fresh sage, whole + a few for garnish
4 cloves garlic, whole
6 strips pancetta or streaky bacon, chopped
300g pumpkin puree
250ml semi-skimmed milk or unsweetened soya milk
100g hard cheese, freshly grated
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
800g gnocchi

Method:
In a large pot, heat water to bring to the boil.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the sage and garlic and cook, stirring for one minute.
Add the pancetta or bacon and increase heat to medium, the cook until just crisp.
Add in the pumpkin puree, stirring constantly until the pumpkin is heated through.
Slowly add milk stirring constantly.
Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
Once the water is boiling, add gnocchi and cook according to the instructions.
Add grated cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the sauce and stir well to combine.
Add more milk if necessary.
Remove garlic and sage from the sauce and discard.
Toss sauce with drained gnocchi, and serve with more grated cheese and fresh sage leaves for garnish, if desired.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Recipe Type: Family Dinners, Quick Meals
Level of Difficulty: Easy