Gnocchi and squash salad

The clouds thickened into a purple, black scab across the sky. As more and more people piled into the vaporetto, the air inside the cabin became so close that the clotted sky seemed to be lying on top of us. Rolls of thunder lapped up the sides of the canals in rhythm with the measured thrashing of grey water against stone.

The sky and sea were closing in on the city. Bundling up the city to be rocked and shaken against the throb of the Adriatic sea. In less than an hour, the grip of the storm slackened and Venice fell back into its loose maze of canals and lapping water. Life resumed as if nothing had happened.

It was wonderful though, when a storm would descend in the midst of summer. I always wanted to write about it to make up for the fact that my family were not there to experience it with me. Moments such as these remind me of why it would be so wonderful to be a travel writer – to share completely foreign experiences and inspire others to seek their own.

That is why I’m so very very very happy that I decided to run for the position of travel editor at my university newspaper. It’s also why I’m chuffed that I won. From September you can be transported to all four corners of the globe from this little section of the web.

With Italy on my mind (well, actually the entire WORLD, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves), it’s the perfect opportunity to share this recipe for Gnocchi with Roasted Squash and Goat’s Cheese. I’m so happy that I randomly picked it out of my hastily gathered together recipe clippings. Of course, it’s all the result of Dom’s Random Recipe Challenge (what isn’t on this blog?!) and its charm lies in its simplicity. I feel that the addition of some basil or sage would be utterly delicious, or perhaps some sun-dried tomatoes…the variations are endless.

Gnocchi with roasted squash & goat’s cheese (From Good Food Magazine, March 2008)

• 450g butternut squash , peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 garlic clove
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 500g pack gnocchi 
  
• 200g young leaf spinach
• 100g goat’s cheese

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Tip the squash into a roasting tin with the garlic and oil, salt and pepper and mix well. Roast for 20 mins, shaking the pan halfway through, until tender and golden.
2. Meanwhile, boil the gnocchi according to pack instructions. With a few secs to go, throw in the spinach, then drain the gnocchi and spinach together. Tip into the roasting tin, then mix everything together well, mashing the softened garlic. Spoon onto warm serving plates, then crumble over the cheese to serve.