4 servings

Top this gnocchi with your favorite local cheese (aged goat cheese works great). Sautéed mushrooms & truffle oil can be a nice addition, or top with olive oil-scented micro greens.

Wine Pairing Willakenzie Pinot Meunier, 2007, $33.00. A perfect foil for the simple flavor profiles of the gnocchi with spinach and goat cheese. This elegant, medium-bodied Pinot Meunier with flavors of fresh red fruits, delivers.

Ingredients:

1 cup russet potatoes (roasted)

1 cup kabocha squash (roasted)

4 ounces of Oregon aged goat cheese

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour (may need more or less)

2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

½ tablespoon rubbed sage

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rub squash and potatoes with olive oil and roast until tender. While hot, cut potatoes and squash lengthwise and scoop out middle, measure a cup of each and put through a china cap with plastic spatula. Place mixture onto a large cutting board. Using backside of spoon, hollow out middle of mixture and place egg yolks, salt, pepper and herbs. Add flour one quarter cup at a time and mix until dough is no longer sticky or wet. Let rest for ten minutes. On floured cutting board, cut off small sections and roll into dime-size strips, using sharp knife cut into half inch pieces. Dust each piece with flour so it doesn’t stick. Place in boiling water until they float to the top, then shock in ice water. Let dry. Brown in skillet with butter, spinach and onions.