• 2 slices of fresh speck, cut into strips

• 1/2 teaspoon of saffron

• 250 ml of cream

•50 g of butter

• 1 level teaspoon of curry powder

• 250 g of tagliatelle

• 
1/2 onion

• 100 g of grated parmesan

• 
Salt

(Enough for 3 people)

Prepare a base with the onion and butter.

Add the strips of speck and brown them slightly. When everything is wellmixed, add the cream and continue to mix with a wooden spoon. Then allow it to colour, adding the curry powder, saffron and a few knobs of butter. Add salt to taste (but the speck is already very salty).

Keep the prepared sauce warm.

Cook the pasta in plenty of water with a tiny amount of salt (the quantity depends on the saltiness of the sauce you will have prepared).

Drain the tagliatelle well and flavour them in the cooking pan with the speck sauce. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.

(makes about 21/2 cups – 625 ml)

• 10 old potatoes (of the floury kind – about 1 kg)

• 3 heaped dessert spoons of flour

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 knobs of butter

• 2 dessert spoons of olive oil

(Enough for 4 people)

3 dessert spoons of grated parmesan (then what you need to serve dish at table) Sage
1 teaspoon of salt

Put the potatoes into a large saucepan, cover them with cold water, bring to the boil and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until they are soft.

Peel them and pass them through the vegetable mill. Turn the purée into a bowl and add the flour, the grated cheese and a teaspoon of salt. Work the mixture well with your hands. Add in the egg yolks and keep working the mixture until you get a soft and elastic paste.

Taste and adjust for salt.

Sprinkle a work top with flour. Take the paste and shape it into a ball, pass it through the flour and let it stand on a plate for about 10 minutes. Take small pieces from the dough ball and, with your hands floured, shape out a long narrow roll to cut into little sections. As soon as the gnocchi are made, lay them on a tea towel and sprinkle then lightly with flour.

Set on the flame a large saucepan of salted water with 2 dessert spoonfuls of olive oil and have a colander ready, lying on top of another pan.

Throw the gnocchi 5 or 6 at a time into the boiling water.

When they rise to float, leave them on the surface of the water for another 1- 2 minutes, then gather them gradually with a strainer and put them in the colander. Finally turn them into a very warm oven-proof dish and flavour them with melted butter and sage. They should be eaten sprinkled with a good measure of grated parmesan.