Chard, Gnocchi and Lardons Fry-up 

Frying gnocchi is my favourite way to cook them, turning them golden and crispy. Dished up here with a pile of succulent greens, lardons and pine nuts, pumpkin gnocchi make this an autumnal treat – the Dell’Ugo brand comes up trumps with deliciously natural little dumplings and no additives.

SERVES 4

150g smoked or unsmoked lardons

30g pine nuts

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 long shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a paste

400g young rainbow

chard, stalk-ends trimmed, sliced 1cm thick (see tip)

finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of juice

400g pumpkin or plain gnocchi, eg Dell’Ugo

freshly grated parmesan, to serve

sea salt, black pepper

•  Heat a large (around 28cm) deep-sided nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Scatter the lardons over the base and stir-fry for about 6 minutes until golden and crispy, stirring in the pine nuts a couple of minutes before the end. Drain them on a double thickness of kitchen paper and discard the fat.

•  Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and briefly fry the shallots until softened, then stir in the garlic. Add two thirds of the chard and stir-fry until it starts to wilt, then add the remainder and continue to cook for several minutes until wilted.

•  Lightly season and stir in the lemon zest, cover with a saucepan lid and cook for 2 minutes until the stalks are just tender. Add a squeeze of lemon and transfer this to a large bowl.

•  Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir-fry the gnocchi for 3-4 minutes until golden.

•  Serve the greens with the lardons and pine nuts scattered on top, the gnocchi to the side with parmesan grated over.

TIP If the chard requires washing, slice it first then wash before giving it a spin in a salad dryer.