Pumpkin Gnocchi

Pumpkin Gnocchi

Serves 4.

I found the recipe for the gnocchi on the following blog: Jenn Cuisine - Pumpkin Gnocchi. The sauce I made up myself, but it's simple, very common, and could be found on many blogs and recipe sites. The original recipe says it will serve 6, but if using this as a main dish, I would assume 4 servings; 6 side dish servings.

This was a great meal and a fancy change of pace from the normal weekly line-up. The taste, aroma, and ingredients are so appropriate this time of year. And if you're not typically a pumpkin lover, don't shy away. The Mr., who doesn't prefer pumpkin, said that you could "barely taste the pumpkin." His plate was clean -- that's argument enough for me.

Gnocchi:

1.5 cups pumpkin puree

2 tbs butter

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1 tsp salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg pepper

Brown Butter Sage Sauce:

1/2 stick butter

4 T. olive oil

12 sage leaves, very thinly sliced

Salt and Pepper

Fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

In a saucepan, cook pumpkin and butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin has thickened a bit. Remove from the heat and add in the rest of the ingredients, mixing until just combined into your dough. Don’t overmix! Working the dough too much will cause your gnocchi to toughen up. (My dough still had tiny clumps of flour, but I was too afraid to overwork it. Once cooked, you never would've known those tiny clumps existed.)

Cut the dough into sections, and roll each one into long "snakes."

Cut up into about 1/2 inch pieces and roll the gnocchis using a gnocchi board or a fork. I would imagine few people own a gnocchi board, and using a fork creates similar results.

Depending on whether you want to cook them immediately or freeze for later use, follow the appropriate directions below:

To freeze gnocchi: It is best to freeze gnocchi uncooked as soon as they are shaped. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan and place the pan in a level position in the freezer. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Gather the frozen gnocchi into resealable freezer bags. Frozen gnocchi can be stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.

To cook fresh gnocchi: Bring six quarts of salted water to a vigorous boil in a large pot over high heat. Drop about half the gnocchi into the boiling water a few at a time, stirring gently and continuously with a wooden spoon. Cook the gnocchi, stirring gently, until tender, about 1 minute after they rise to the surface. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon of skimmer, draining them well, and transfer to a wide saucepan with some of the sauce to be used. Cook the remaining gnocchi, if necessary.

To cook frozen gnocchi: Gnocchi must be cooked directly from the freezer in plenty of boiling water, or they will stick together. It is important that the water return to a boil as soon as possible; cover the pots if necessary. Drain the gnocchi as described above.

To make brown butter sage sauce: In a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil. "Fry" sage until just crispy. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with gnocchi and top with shredded parmesan cheese.