Pumpkin and Potato Gnocchi

17/11/2023

Pumpkin and potato gnocchi are a delicious and comforting autumnal dish. Here’s how you can prepare them:

Ingredients

500 g of pumpkin
300 g of potatoes
200-300 g of 00 flour, plus more for working the dough
1 egg
Salt to taste
Grated nutmeg (optional)
Butter
Fresh sage
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Preparation

Start by cleaning the pumpkin: cut it into pieces, remove the seeds and the fibrous inner part. Roast it in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30-40 minutes or until tender. Then allow it to cool and remove the flesh from the skin.
In the meantime, boil the potatoes with their skin on in salted water until soft. After cooking, drain them, peel them, and mash them well with a potato masher.
Also mash the pumpkin flesh to a puree and mix it with the potatoes.
Add a pinch of salt, grated nutmeg (if desired), and the egg. Mix and start adding the flour, a little at a time, until the dough becomes soft but not sticky.
Dust a work surface with flour and take a small portion of the dough. Roll it into long “logs” and cut them into small pieces to form the gnocchi.
Add a little flour if the dough is sticky. If you like, you can mark the gnocchi with a fork or with the special tool to give them the classic ridged shape.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi; they will be ready when they float to the surface.
Meanwhile, prepare a simple dressing with melted butter and fresh sage. Melt the butter in a pan and when it starts to sizzle, add the sage leaves.
Use a slotted spoon to drain the gnocchi and transfer them directly into the pan with butter and sage. Toss them for a minute or two to ensure they are well coated with the seasoning.
Serve the gnocchi hot with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

Curiosity

Pumpkin gnocchi is a seasonal variant of classic gnocchi and lends itself to multiple condiments. The sweetness of the pumpkin combines perfectly with sage and butter, but you can also experiment with other types of sauces such as meat ragù or mushroom-based condiments. It’s also a dish that adapts well to vegetarian cooking, just omit the Parmesan if you want a vegan version (or replace it with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes).