.... you want to eat meals that are light, fresh and full of flavour.

This isn’t the time for slow cooked stews or rich, heavy dishes – it’s the season of vibrant vegetables and fruits grown right on our doorstep.

The Bristol Hotel have just launched their summer menu, and head chef Matt Lord has concocted a dish that celebrates the season in all its glory. Using fresh garden peas, Matt has put a twist on the Italian classic gnocchi, served up with a punchy hit of goat’s cheese and homemade pesto.

This dish usually makes up a three-course meal, but will serve six as a small supper, or four as a large main course.

Ingredients

For the gnocchi…

• 125g pasta flour (type 00) 
• 500g floury potatoes
• Pinch of salt  
• Milled white pepper 
• 125g pea puree (see recipe)
• 1 egg yolk 

For the pea and mint puree…

• 250g frozen peas
• 10g fresh mint                             
• 125g butter
• Salt and pepper – to taste
• 75ml water
• 1 courgettes, diced finely

For the rocket pesto…

• 1 small garlic clove
• Pinch of sea salt
• 12g pumpkin seeds-very lightly toasted
• 125g wild rocket
• 12g Parmesan – finely grated
• Juice of ¼ lemon
• 65ml extra virgin olive oil

To finish

• Shaved Parmesan
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 50g goat’s cheese
• 25g pea shoots
• 100g fresh peas (blanched)

Instructions

For the Gnocchi…

Bake the potatoes in a hot over. When they’re cooked, remove the skins and put the flesh though a fine ricer (or mash very well). When the potatoes are cool, sieve 75g of the flour directly over the top, and add the egg yolks, salt, pepper and pea puree. Knead the mixture well.

Add the rest of the flour if needed – you’ll need more if the dough still sticks to your hands or the worktop and doesn’t form a kneadable dough. Some types of potato will absorb more flour, so your quantities may change.

When the dough feels soft and compact, cut it into 2 or 3 pieces, flour your hands and roll each piece into a sausage shape. Cut into small slices to form even sized pellets and lightly press a fork onto the top to form ridges.

Cook the gnocchi in a pan of salted water on a rolling boil, in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. When cooked, the gnocchi will float to the surface. Refresh in ice-cold water to stop them cooking (you’ll be flashing them in the pan later.)

For the pea puree… 

Melt the butter, add the peas and water and bring to the boil. Once boiled, add the mint, puree immediately and stir in the finely diced courgette. Chill straight away to retain as much as the deep greenness of the peas.

For the pesto…

In a blender, blitz the rocket with the oil and garlic, then add the pumpkin seeds and blend further. The finished pesto should still be rough and chunky. Remove from the blender and add the Parmesan and lemon juice, stirring to combine.

To finish…

Pan-fry the gnocchi in a pan of foaming butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. When the gnocchi are almost cooked (this will only take a few minutes), add the fresh peas. Neatly arrange on a plate and garnish with the cress, crumbled goats cheese, a drizzle of pesto, shaved Parmesan and olive oil.

Enjoy!