First make the Sweet Pea–Fennel Sauce: Set a medium or large saucepan over medium-high heat, and once it’s hot, swirl in the oil and add the fennel, garlic, and a big pinch of salt. Cook until the fennel lightly browns and starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the potato and broth. Once the liquid is simmering, lower the heat, cover the pan and cook until the potato is fork tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peas, cover again, and cook for 3 minutes more. Carefully blend the mixture until smooth, in a blender or in a tall glass with a handheld immersion blender. Taste for salt (how much you need will depend on how salty the broth is), and set the sauce aside.

Rinse the saucepan and blender. Fill the pan with salted water and bring it to a boil.

While the water comes to a boil, make the gnocchi: Blend the cottage cheese and eggs together until smooth, using the blender or immersion blender, then scrape into a mixing bowl. Add the flour and cheese to the bowl. Use a fork to gently combine, trying not to overwork the dough — mix it just until a tacky dough forms. Depending on what kind of cottage cheese you use, you may need to add up to ½ cup more flour to that the dough is sturdy enough to roll out. It shouldn’t be so wet that it spreads.

Turn the dough onto a well floured surface and divide into 4 portions. Gently roll each portion into a rope about ¾-inch in diameter, adding more flour if needed, then cut each one into small, ¾-inch segments.

Add the gnocchi to the boiling water, as many as will fit in a single layer (you may need to do 2 batches if cooking them all at once). Once they float the surface, cook for 2 minutes more (evaluate the doneness by cutting one in half—it should be cooked all the way through). Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked gnocchi to a plate, reserve a cup of the cooking water, and empty the saucepan.

To assemble the dish: Add the Pea Sauce to the saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat. Stir in the gnocchi and bring the sauce back to a simmer. Stir in splashes of the reserved water to loosen the sauce as you like, then serve immediately, garnished with parmesan and black pepper.