Yes, I know it is way past the Thanksgiving season, but I couldn’t resist from sharing this pumpkin gnocchi recipe for you all to try. Soft and buttery gnocchis glazed with a simple yet tasty brown butter sage sauce is to die for!
This recipe is yet another one from the archives. I had made this almost a year back but still whenever I think of this pumpkin gnocchi all that comes to mind is the smell of roasted pumpkin everywhere. That is the smell of autumn, wouldn’t you say?
A classic alternative to the potato gnocchi, this pumpkin gnocchi comes together very easily. And, because we use pumpkin here, it gives a very beautiful golden hue to the gnocchi along with a sweet taste. Oh, it’s so perfect!
Oh, here comes the sauce! The brown butter sage sauce is the perfect combination for pumpkin gnocchi. It is so simple to prepare and of course you can replace fresh sage for dried ones but the fresh herb just elevates the taste of the sauce and in turn the gnocchi too.
I did not stop there; I went another level up here. Yes, I added some more flavor too! After making the brown butter sage sauce and tossing the gnocchi in it, I kept that aside and made another sauce just for serving. A white sauce indeed!
I added some flour to hot butter and roasted it for a few seconds and then added some cream to it. Now, you can thin out the sauce with some water or if you have been reserving the boiled gnocchi water, then please ADD IT! Some salt, pepper and garlic powder to enhance the flavors and voila, you are done!
You can go ahead and add some flour and cream to the brown butter sauce once the garlic and sage has been roasted. But I made it separately because I always like the classic combination. Of course, I topped my pumpkin gnocchi with the white sauce too and yeah, that was awesome and to die for! But, topping it is different from tossing it right?!
This is also a freezer friendly recipe. You can prepare the dough and make the gnocchi and freeze them. Simple, right! The next time, you can directly take it out from the freezer, drop it in boiling water, cook and then toss with the sauce. It makes an easy dinner menu. It does stay good for two days in the freezer.
This pumpkin gnocchi is the perfect dish for a cold night – Hot and comforting! You can pair it with an appetizer and a drink to make it a hearty meal! A salad works well too! Oh and to finish everything, a dessert would be out of the world. Although I highly doubt if you will still be able to eat anything after having this pumpkin gnocchi. I honestly wouldn’t want to change the taste!
So, enjoy having this pumpkin gnocchi before the pumpkins go out of season. I hope you try it out soon! It is also an awesome date night meal. Honestly, I can have it anytime! Stay safe: stay healthy! Happy cooking and eating!
While you are here, do checkout my other Italian recipes to prepare for a romantic meal. Try out my other pasta recipes too! For a complete meal, check out my appetizer recipes too.
Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.
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Pumpkin Gnocchi
Ingredients
For pumpkin gnocchi
- 1 large potato, baked, peeled and grated
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- salt, as required
For the sage butter sauce
- 1+2 tbsp butter, salted
- a few sage leaves
- a few cloves of garlic, chopped finely
Instructions
To prepare pumpkin gnocchi
- Add the grated potato and the pumpkin puree to a mixing bowl.
- Add all purpose flour and salt as required.
- Break open an egg and add it to the bowl. Mix everything together to form a dough.
- Divide the dough into portions and roll each portion into a log and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Place the gnocchi pieces separately and dust some flour on them so they don't stick together.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the gnocchi, one at a time to the boiling water. Work in batches if necessary.
- When the gnocchi rises to the top, remove them from the water and set aside.
- To a pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter and let it melt. Add the gnocchi and cook until it turns slightly brown tossing them in between. Remove and set aside.
To make the sage butter sauce
- To a pan on low-medium heat, add the remaining butter, sage leaves and garlic. Cook until the sage is crisp and the garlic and butter has turned golden brown.
- Toss the gnocchi in the sage butter sauce and serve hot.
Notes
- Bake or steam the potato, peel it and grate it so it mixes with the dough nicely.
- To prepare pumpkin puree from scratch, cut a small sized pumpkin into two, scrape out all the seeds and the pith. Place them in a tray, skin side up, apply some oil and bake in the oven at 180℃ for 45 minutes or until soft. Let it cool. Scrape out all the pulp and grind until it is smooth.
- Make sure to form a soft dough.
- You can make some designs in your gnocchi pieces with a fork if needed.
- Boil the gnocchi in batches and do not overcrowd the pot.
- Remove the gnocchi from the boiling water once it raises to the top. boiling them for long will make them chewy.
- I made a creamy sauce just for serving. To prepare that, remove the sage leaves once it turns crisp. Remove the garlic as well and melt some more butter in the pan. Add some flour and whisk. Add some heavy cream along with pasta water, salt and pepper. Cook until it reached the desired consistency.
