Pumpkin Gnocchi, with bacon sage and cherry tomatoes

For the gardener, Pumpkin, is the ideal vegetable to grow, as it keeps for months.  It brings me joy and pride to watch my Pumpkin standing on the garden wall waiting patiently to be transformed into something worth eating!  This recipe is to my belief what make my Pumpkins proud!

For the Gnocchi

1 kg Pumpkin

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

500g Strong Plain Flour

1/2 tsp salt

grated Nutmeg

1 small egg

For the Sauce

300g cherry tomatoes

150g unsmoked bacon

4 sage leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1tbsp butter
Parmesan cheese for topping

Cut the pumpkin into large chunks sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil.  Bake in a 180c oven for 45mins - 1 hour till just cooked.  Take out from oven, leave to cool.  Remove any liquids, scoop out the flesh into a large colander over a bowl and leave the juices to drain till pumpkin is completely cold. Process pumpkin in a food processor to obtain a smooth thick paste.  Weigh the pumpkin and you should have about 500g. (add the exact quantity of flour to pumpkin mash). Add egg, flour salt, and grate a little nutmeg.  Mix to form a soft dough. Turn to flour surface and knead. Divide dough in two, then roll out to 1cm thickness and using a pizza cutter cut 1 cm long strips. Dust liberately with flour and cut each strip into pillows.  Using the back of a fork and your thumb press each pillow to obtain the classic indents. Place on a floured sheet and freeze or cook with the following sauce.

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and add gnocchi.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until they have a small bite. Meanwhile heat a large frying pan add oil and butter, crushed garlic, chopped sage leaves and diced bacon.  Fry gently then turn heat to high add cherry tomatoes. Lift gnocchi with slotted spoon and transfer to pan. Ladle 1 cup of gnocchi cooking water to pan and shake.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.