Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Preheat oven to 180°C fan / 400°F. Place the sweet potato chunks on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes until completely soft.

Once soft, remove from the oven and mash the sweet potato using a fork or potato masher to create a creamy mash without chunks. Add the flour and a good pinch of salt before mashing again to form a dough.

Using clean hands, roll the dough into a large ball before dividing into 4 equal-sized pieces.

Roll each piece into long cylinder shapes, before cutting each into small pieces of gnocchi (about thumb-width in length).

Place a large pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the sliced mushrooms, garlic and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5–10 minutes until the mushrooms soften.

While this cooks, bring a large pan of boiling water to simmer and add a pinch of salt. Once simmering, add the gnocchi and cook until the pieces rise to the surface of the water. Remove each gnocchi using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.

Add the cooked gnocchi and thyme to the pan with the mushrooms and garlic; mix well and cook for 5 minutes until the gnocchi turns golden.

Finally, mix through the spinach and cook until wilted. Serve topped with small dollops of pesto (if using).