Gnocchi Tossed with Spinach, Walnuts and Currants

Gnocchi has a longer history than most people guess. Those soft little pillows grew out of the simple idea of mashing cooked potato with flour, and they have been made in Italian kitchens for generations, often by hand on a wooden board with a fork pressed into each piece. The store-bought fresh kind in this recipe is a fine shortcut. What matters most is that the gnocchi get a good, gentle boil and then a short visit to the pan, so they pick up the flavour of the onion and garlic without turning mushy.

Currants are the quiet star here. They are simply small dried black grapes, and they have a deep, tangy sweetness that plays well against wilted greens. Give them a minute or two in the oil with the garlic and they swell up plump, which is the moment to pay attention. Walnuts are worth the extra step of toasting in their own pan first. Their natural oils bring out a warm, slightly bitter note that balances the currants, and they stay crisp for longer when you set them aside and only fold them in at the end.

A small tip from years of making this kind of dinner: wilt the spinach just until it collapses, then stop. Baby spinach goes from bright to grey surprisingly fast, and the leaves hold their colour best when they still have a little bite. Keep a splash of the cooking water from the gnocchi pot in your back pocket. If the pan looks dry when everything comes together, a spoonful will loosen it without making the dish soggy.

Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat them in a hot frying pan rather than the microwave, which tends to make gnocchi rubbery. The walnuts lose some crunch overnight, so you can toast a fresh handful to scatter over the top.

For something to serve alongside, a bowl of Hearty Vegetable Minestrone Soup makes a comforting starter on a cold evening. If you want a bit more green on the table, Golden Garlic Spinach with Currants and Pine Nuts repeats the sweet and savoury pairing in a simpler form. For a lighter finish, Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Toasted Walnuts brings crunchy nuts and roasted roots to the same meal.