Cassava and Rice Flour Gnocchis with Wild Garlic Pesto/ Gnocchi alla Manioca e farina di riso con pesto di aglio orsino

Cassava, this – to me – quite unknown vegetable. A root that for several years I only watched from a distance, intimidated by its seemingly thick and hard rind. Let’s say that because of a purely aesthetic matter and my own ignorance about its use in cooking our paths have never really crossed if not for my rapid and puzzled looks to it, before reaching the shelf to get my beloved avocados. Well, I’m not ashamed to say that I was wrong, and how was I wrong!

Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Pici with Luganega sausage, Hazelnuts and Coffee Sauce / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Pici con salsa alla luganega, nocciole e caffé

And here we are, back to the Mill’s cookbook. Having already experimented with baked goods such as grissini, ciabatte and muffins this month I decided to turn my attention to a pasta recipe. With an incredible timing I came across a recipe for pici, a tuscan pasta, by Margherita/La petite casserole, and loved so much its rustic simplicity I just had to do it straight away. And rustic is the sauce I pulled together for this dish.