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Pumpkin Gnocchi with Taleggio Cheese Sauce

17/11/2023

Pumpkin gnocchi with taleggio cheese sauce is a rich and flavorful first course, an autumnal variation of the traditional potato gnocchi. Here is a recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of pumpkin
  • 300-400 g of type 00 flour
  • 1 egg
  • Salt
  • Nutmeg
  • 200 g of taleggio cheese
  • 100 ml of cooking cream
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh sage
  • Butter
  • Pepper

Preparation

  1. Cut the pumpkin into pieces, removing the seeds and fibrous parts. Bake in the oven at 180 °C until soft. This should take about 30-40 minutes. Then, let it cool down.
  2. Once cooled, pass the pumpkin through a food mill or blend it into a puree.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree with the egg, a pinch of salt, and some grated nutmeg. Begin adding the flour little by little, working the dough until it becomes homogeneous and solid enough to be worked with your hands, but still soft.
  4. Dust a work surface with flour and take small portions of the pumpkin dough to roll them into logs. Cut the logs into small pieces to form the gnocchi.
  5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface, indicating that they are ready.
  6. While the gnocchi are cooking, prepare the taleggio sauce. Cut the taleggio into cubes and melt them over low heat with the cream, adding a handful of grated Parmesan cheese to make the sauce thicker. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. In another pan, melt a knob of butter and add some sage leaves. Let the butter take on the flavor for a couple of minutes.
  8. Drain the gnocchi and add them to the pan with the butter and sage, sautéing them slightly to flavor.
  9. Arrange the gnocchi on plates and cover with the taleggio sauce. Serve hot with a sprinkling of pepper and, if desired, an additional touch of Parmesan.

Curiosity

Taleggio is a Lombard cheese with a soft texture and particularly delicate flavor. It pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the pumpkin, creating a tasty contrast that is highly appreciated in autumn Italian cuisine. Sage adds a sharp aroma that balances the entire dish. Pumpkin gnocchi also lend themselves well to variations, such as adding crumbled amaretti biscuits on top of the sauce for an extra crunchy and sweet note.