Creamy Sausage & Courgette Gnocchi With Cheese Crisp

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Peel and finely slice your shallot[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Top, tail and grate your courgette[s]

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your sausage meat (remove the paper if required!) to the pan and cook for 5 min or until beginning to brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go

Sprinkle your grated Italian hard cheese onto a baking paper-lined baking tray into a circle and top with a very generous grind of black pepper

Tip: Cooking for kids? Save half the cheese for later!

Put the tray in the oven for 5-6 min or until golden

Once golden, set aside to cool – this is your black pepper cheese crisp

Once the sausage meat has browned, add the sliced shallot and grated courgette to the pan with a small knob of butter

Cook for 5-6 min or until the veg has softened

Once softened, add the chopped garlic with 1 tbsp [1 1/2tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Meanwhile, add your gnocchi to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the gnocchi for 3 min or until it begins to rise to the top of the pot

Once done, drain the gnocchi, reserving a cup of the starchy cooking water

Reboil a kettle

Once fragrant, add 120ml [180ml] [240ml] milk and 50ml [75ml] [100ml] boiled water to the pan with your chicken stock mix and cook for 2-3 min or until the sauce has thickened and the sausage is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Break the black pepper cheese crisp into shards – these are your peppery cheese shards

Add your blanched peas to a colander and pour boiled water all over them to refresh them

Once thickened, stir the drained gnocchi and refreshed peas through the sauce with a small splash of starchy cooking water – this is your creamy sausage & courgette gnocchi

Tip: Cooking for kids? Plate up their portion of gnocchi first with the peas to the side!