The River Cafe's spinach and ricotta gnocchi

Instructions

• Blanch the spinach in boiling water until wilted, then squeeze dry. You should have about ¾ pound (350g) blanched spinach.

• Melt the ¼ cup butter in a pan, add the picked marjoram leaves and cook for a minute. Add the spinach and stir to combine the flavors. Season, then leave to cool. When cooled, chop roughly.

• In a large bowl, lightly beat the ricotta with a fork. Sift in the flour. Add the egg yolks, nutmeg and Parmesan and mix well. Finally, fold in the cooled spinach mixture until well combined. Taste for seasoning.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Use two dessert spoons for shaping the gnocchi: with one of them take a small spoonful of the mixture and, using the other spoon, mold the mixture so that it forms a gnoccho (a small oval dumpling about ¾ inch [2cm] in diameter). Place on the baking sheet. Continue making the gnocchi—they should all be the same size.

• To make the sage butter, heat the 1 cup butter gently so it separates. Pour out the clarified butter into a clean pan and return to the heat. When very hot, add the sage leaves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Gently place the gnocchi in the water in batches—it is important not to overcrowd the pot. When the gnocchi come back to the surface, remove carefully with a slotted spoon and briefly place the spoon on paper towels to drain off excess water.

• Keep the gnocchi warm, tossed with some of the sage butter, in a warm oven while you cook the rest.

• Serve immediately on warm plates with the remaining sage butter and extra Parmesan.