Colin Fassnidge’s wintery version of a green gnocchi

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.

For gnocchi, spread salt on a baking tray and top with potatoes. Bake for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a knife. Cut hot potatoes in half and push through a potato ricer into a large bowl. (If you don’t have a ricer, peel the skin off the warm potatoes, then carefully press the potato flesh through a sieve with the back of a spoon.)

Place sage, parsley, rosemary, parmesan, flour and salt in a blender. Blend to a fine green crumb.

Using a spatula, roughly stir egg yolks into the warm potato (egg stops the gnocchi from breaking up in boiling water). Stir in the herb mixture.

Tip mixture onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, bring mixture together to form a green dough ball. Do not overwork the dough as this will result in tough gnocchi.

Break off small handfuls of dough and roll into 1.5cm thick cylinders. Cut into 2cm pieces and place on a floured tray.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, then gently add gnocchi. Gnocchi will float to the top when cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon, draining any excess water. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Place butter in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add sage. Cook, shaking pan, until sage is crisp and the butter is nut brown. Stir in capers. Pour over gnocchi in bowl. Add juice and zest.

To make garnish, combine beetroot, oil, juice and zest. Season. Garnish gnocchi with beetroot slices and serve with extra parmesan.