Unusual combination of pasta and Marmite

IN MY book, Heathcotes at Home, I created a recipe with Marmite butter. Kept chilled in the fridge, it is a wonderful accompaniment to a fried or grilled piece of steak.

I know many of my friends swear by the recipe for its ease and taste, but recently I have found another use for it.

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making the gnocchi then most supermarkets stock it in the fresh pasta section, although you can’t beat this freshly-made Italian dumpling.

GNOCCHI WITH SAGE AND MARMITE BUTTER

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

For the Gnocchi

750g evenly sized floury potatoes, scrubbed clean

150g Italian ‘OO’ (or plain) flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp fine sea salt

150g finely grated parmesan

1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the Sage and Marmite Butter

75g unsalted butter

8 large sage leaves

1 tsp truffle-infused olive oil

2 tsp Marmite

Juice of half a lemon

Method

1. To make the gnocchi, place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat slightly and cook for about 25-35 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a small, sharp knife. Drain well and cool slightly. Wearing kitchen gloves to protect your hands, peel off the skins while the potatoes are still hot. Mash them using a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl.

2. Form into a well in the centre of the mashed potatoes and add the flour, salt and half the cheese. Stir the ingredients together, then gradually mix in beaten egg. With clean, floured hands, press the mixture together to form a dough, adding a little more flour if the mixture is too wet. Be careful not to overwork it to keep the resulting gnocchi light. Tip the dough on to a floured surface and shape into a long log. Wrap each log with cling film and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into eight pieces. Work with a piece at a time and cover the rest with cling film to keep them from drying out. Roll out the dough into a long narrow sausage, about 1cm in thickness. Cut the log into short 2cm pieces using a dull butter knife. If you like, roll each piece over the back tines of a dinner fork to create grooves. Set aside on a floured baking sheet and cover with a piece of baking parchment while you work on the rest of the dough.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. In batches, gently drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. They will sink to the top when cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a lightly oiled tray. Repeat with the rest of the gnocchi.

5. Heat the butter in a wide pan. Add the sage and fry until lightly golden followed by the Marmite, then toss in the blanched gnocchi until it is coated in the butter sauce and is warmed through, squeeze over the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and divide on to warmed serving plates. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining cheese.

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