At Marnong Estate, lunch rarely feels rushed.
Tables fill, glasses are poured, and before long the afternoon settles in. The vineyard stretches out beyond the dining room, wide and open, setting the pace without needing to say a word.
The Marnong Table is a way to bring a small part of that experience home—recipes that reflect what’s served here, shaped by the landscape around them.
Created by La Vètta Kitchen
Signature dining at Marnong Estate
A Dish Worth Sitting Down For
Gnocchi alle Cicale is built around simplicity, but it’s the kind that relies on care.
Soft gnocchi are folded through a warm Moreton Bay bug brodo, finished with butter, garlic, and a touch of chilli. The sauce is light but full of flavour, carrying the sweetness of the seafood without overwhelming it.
Everything works together quietly—the gnocchi holding their shape, the brodo coating each piece, the parsley lifting it at the end.
It’s not complicated, but it’s precise. And that’s what makes it memorable.
Where It Belongs
At Marnong, this is the kind of dish that lands in the middle of the table and doesn’t stay there long.
It’s shared between plates, eaten slowly, and paired with a glass of Single Vineyard Fiano. The wine cuts through the butter and brings a fresh edge to the dish, balancing each bite.
Outside, the vines sit still in the distance. Inside, the table settles into that point where no one is in a hurry to leave.
That’s the moment this dish is made for.
Gnocchi alle Cicale Recipe
Gnocchi in Moreton Bay Bug Brodo
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Gnocchi:
500g potatoes, peeled
25g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
175g plain flour (or 115g if using gluten-free flour)
7g fine salt
1 egg
– OR –
500g quality store-bought gnocchi
For the Sauce:
300g Moreton Bay bug meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red chilli, finely chopped (to taste)
2 knobs unsalted butter (or more to taste)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500ml Marnong Estate Moreton Bay Bug Brodo
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Flaky salt and cracked black pepper, to season
Method
-
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well and allow steam to escape. While still warm, mash or pass through a ricer until smooth.
Add Parmesan, flour, salt, and egg. Bring together gently into a soft dough.(Skip to Step 3 if using store-bought gnocchi.)
- Lightly flour your bench. Roll the dough into 2cm-thick logs and cut into bite-sized pieces. Dust with flour and set aside.
- In a wide pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and chilli, cooking briefly until fragrant.
- Pour in the Moreton Bay Bug Brodo and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the bug meat and cook for 2–3 minutes until just opaque. Adjust butter if needed.
- Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water until they float. Allow a further 30 seconds, then drain.
- Add gnocchi to the sauce, folding gently. Finish with parsley, salt, and cracked black pepper.
To Serve
Serve straight away, with the brodo spooned over generously. Finish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Pair with Marnong Estate Single Vineyard Fiano.
A Reason to Come Back
You can recreate this dish at home, and it will still be good.
But it’s different when it’s eaten here—when the table fills, the wine is poured, and the afternoon stretches just a little longer than expected.
That’s the part that doesn’t translate to a recipe.