Roasted Pumpkin & Arugula Gnocchi with Pine Nuts

Pumpkin and spinach salad appears to be the new "it" salad, because I've see it offered at lots of cafes and restaurants recently. This is my interpretation of it. I used arugula instead of spinach to ramp up the flavour. It's pepperiness contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the pumpkin. I don't often use pine nuts because of their expense, but they are absolutely worthy of the occasional indulgence. Rest assured, they don't disappoint here!
In addition to being delicious, this recipe only takes about 30 minutes to prepare and has a short ingredient list. What's not to love?!

1 1/2 kg. pumpkin (half a medium) peeled and diced in 2 cm/1 in pieces
100 g. baby arugula
500 g. gnocchi
4 tbsp. pine nuts
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. old cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Place the diced pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning midway.

While the pumpkin is cooking, grate the cheese and toast the pine nuts in a large frying pan for a few minutes, over medium heat. Be sure to keep an eye on them because they will brown quickly. Once golden, transfer to a plate or bowl to cool.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Season with a hefty pinch of salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float (or according to package directions). Drain once cooked.

Sauté the arugula in the large frying pan, using 1 tbsp. of olive oil, for 1 minute. Add the cooked gnocchi and roasted pumpkin. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring once or twice, to wilt the arugula. Remove from heat. Sprinkle in half the pine nuts and combine.

Once plated, drizzle each serving with olive oil, sprinkle with cheese and remaining pine nuts to garnish.