Gnocchi with Parma Ham and Sage
– How to cheat

The great advantage of now being able to buy potato gnocchi in ambient packs with a long shelf life is that you always have something that can be rustled up into a fast supper dish at a moment’s notice. The following combination works brilliantly. Using a tub of ready-grated fresh parmesan, a tub of half-fat crème fraîche, a packet of sliced Parma ham and a pack of fresh sage, with what is little more than an assembly job, you can create a pretty classy meal for three to four people in minutes.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 x 500g pack gnocchi di patate
1 x 200 ml tub half-fat crème fraîche
4 oz (110 g) ready-grated Parmesan
1 x 85 g pack sliced Parma ham
2 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Begin by putting a large pan of water with a teaspoon of salt in it on to boil over a high heat, and switch on the grill to its highest setting.

Meanwhile separate the Parma ham slices and cut them into thin strips. Next, keeping aside 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, in a bowl mix the rest with the crème fraîche plus three-quarters of the Parma ham strips and three-quarters of the chopped sage. Then season well with salt and pepper.

When the water’s boiling, boil the gnocchi for three minutes, then drain in a colander and quickly transfer to a heatproof gratin dish. Spoon the sauce over, sprinkle with half the reserved Parmesan, then place the dish under the grill, about 4 inches from the heat.

Grill for 5 minutes then sprinkle with the remaining Parma ham, sage and cheese and grill for 1 more minute until golden-brown and bubbling. Serve this with a salad.

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