Recipe: Nettle Gnocchi with Cured Ham and Edible Flowers

There’s something beautifully unexpected about cooking with wild ingredients. This nettle gnocchi recipe brings together the earthy, delicate flavour of foraged greens with the richness of Capo Caccia cured ham and the sweetness of slow-cooked Jerusalem artichokes.

Inspired by traditional Sardinian cooking, this dish celebrates seasonality, simplicity, and quality produce, where humble ingredients are elevated through careful preparation and bold flavour pairings. Finished with shavings of Pecorino Sardo and a scattering of edible flowers, it’s a plate that feels both rustic and refined.

Whether you’re looking to explore a new recipe at home or recreate a taste of Sardinia, this is a perfect way to showcase the depth and versatility of our cured meats.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the nettle gnocchi:
- 50–100g nettle florets 
- 500ml water 
- 300g 00 flour 
- Salt and pepper 
- Extra virgin olive oil 

For the dish:
- 150g Capo Caccia cured ham 
- Jerusalem artichoke tubers 
- Butter 
- Pecorino Sardo 
- Edible flowers

Preparation

1. Blanch the nettle tops in boiling salted water for a couple of minutes, drain and chop.
2. Bring the water to the boil, add salt, a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until everything is well combined.
3. Add the chopped nettles to the mixture, mix and pour the mixture onto a wooden surface, working it with your hands as soon as it cools.
4. Dust the surface with flour, form pieces of dough into loaves and cut them into small pieces.
5. Wash and brush the Jerusalem artichokes well, cut them into small pieces and cook them slowly in butter.
6. Cut the cured ham (you can also use our guanciale or pancetta) into matchsticks and then into mini cubes.
7. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water and drain as soon as they float to the surface.
8. Sauté the Jerusalem artichokes in a pan with butter.
9. Enrich the dish with diced cured ham, pecorino shavings, and edible flowers of false nettle (Lamium pur-pureum), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), rosemary, sage, and more.