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Read MoreEasy Pumpkin Gnocchi (weeknight fall cooking recipe)
These soft and pillow-like pumpkin gnocchi are so simple to make and very delicious. Sautéed in a brown butter garlic sauce it is the perfect fall recipe to cook up on any day with minimal ingredients.
If making pasta at home is daunting then let me introduce you to gnocchi. It is the easiest way to whip up pasta in very little time and uses minimal effort. You don’t need anything fancy to make it. The recipe is perfect to whip up on a weekend when you are looking to make something comforting and delicious but I must admit I have made it over the week as well since it is so simple to throw together. When making gnocchi at home there are few points to keep in mind and we will go through all of them.
What is exactly is gnocchi? Is gnocchi a pasta or potato? What do you eat gnocchi with?
Gnocchi is basically dumplings that originate from Italy – the northern part of Italy. It has a variety of shapes, flavors and sauces that it is paired with. It is commonly made with potato, flour egg an salt which is formed into a dough, then boiled and served with a sauce. Most popular sauces are pesto and tomato sauce but you can serve it with a creamy cheese or white sauce. They are pronounced as “NYO – key”. It is considered as a dumpling but comes until the pasta category.
What is pumpkin gnocchi?
Pumpkin gnocchi is essentially dumplings made with pumpkin instead of potato in the dough. I have used a combination of potato and butternut squash to make it. You could do sweet potato as well. I would suggest using roasted pumpkin or squash here as it is way better in texture and flavor. You could do boiled as well but in my opinion the flavor gets diluted with the pumpkin.
What ingredients do you need to make gnocchi?
To make the gnocchi dumplings we need roasted pumpkin and potato, egg, flour and salt. I also like adding pepper into the dough. The sauce is made with butter, garlic, sage, parmesan cheese and the cooking liquid of the gnocchi. Serve it with crumbed goats cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and a grating of nutmeg on top. I love serving it with crushed black pepper as well.
What equipment is needed to make gnocchi?
To make the gnocchi we need a roasting tray and oven to cook the pumpkin and potato. I have made the gnocchi on a clean kitchen surface with a fork and my hands. The gnocchi is rolled out and cut into pieces with a knife. They are cooked in a stock pot with boiling water and I strain them out with a sieve. The “sauce” is made in a sauté pan and you will need a spoon to stir it. A grater for the cheese as well.
How to make pumpkin gnocchi?
Preheat the oven to 200℃, line a baking tray and set aside. In a large sheet of foil add the pumpkin, potato, a pinch of salt and wrap it up. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft. You could also use leftover roast pumpkin and potatoes. Once soft, mashed the veg on a clean kitchen surface, add the flour, egg, more salt and pepper. Start by mixing the mixture with a fork, then switch to your hands and bring together to form a dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long cigar. Using a knife, cut the dough into pieces around 1inch in thickness and gently place on a floured tray. Repeat until all the dough has been portioned. Bring water to a boil, once bubbling add salt and start adding the dumplings into the water. When they rise to the top they are done. Using a strainer remove them from the water and transfer to a plate. In a sauté pan on medium heat add the butter, allow it to melt. Add the garlic, sage and toss in the cooked gnocchi. Allow it to brown and sizzle, before adding in the parmesan cheese, cooking pasta liquid and stir until combined. Adjust the seasoning before taking it off the gas. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, pumpkin seeds, goats cheese and crushed black pepper. Serve it hot.
What to serve with pumpkin gnocchi?
It is best served with toasted nuts / seeds on top, I like topped it with pumpkin seeds you could do walnuts or pecans as well. The goats cheese is creamy and delicious but you could just as well do crème friache or sour cream as well. I have also served it with dollops of yogurt around the pan. As for drinks serve it with my thanksgiving sangria or better yet serve it with a good chilled white wine, dry works well here.
Storing pumpkin gnocchi?
The leftovers can be stored in an air tight container for up to 1 week in the fridge, keep in mind the nuts will not be crunchy after refrigerating. Hence plan accordingly. To reheat, you can pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds for until warmed through. If you want it saucy, pour a little water into a pan with the gnocchi and warm it with a lid on top until soft and cooked through around 5 minutes on low heat.
Pro Tips when making gnocchi:
- Roasting the pumpkin and potato until they are cooked is important or else you will have chunks of raw potato all through the dough.
- Do not over work the dough, once it has come together uniformly starting rolling out and cut into pieces.
- Once the gnocchi has risen to the top in the stock pot – that means it has cooked through, do not over cook them as we will sauté them as well.
- If you like gnocchi with more sauce, save the cooking liquid and allow it to cook for a few minutes with the water.
Looking for more easy fall inspired weeknight meals?
- Roasted butternut squash tomato soup
- Pasta alla vodka
- Creamy mushroom pasta
- Brown butter pumpkin Mac n cheese
Now that we have covered how to make this easy pumpkin gnocchi, you can have a look at the video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.
If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest or instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.
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Pumpkin Gnocchi (fall cooking recipes)
These soft and pillow-like pumpkin gnocchi are so simple to make and very delicious. Sautéed in a brown butter garlic sauce it is the perfect fall recipe to cook up on any day with minimal ingredients.
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Stock pot
- Foil
- Fork
- Knife
- Sauté pan
- Spoon
Ingredients
For the gnocchi -
- 200 gm butternut squash cut into cubes
- 100 gm potato cut into cubes
- 1 and 1/4 cup flour
- 1 egg
- Good pinch of salt and pepper
For the sauce -
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid
- 1 tsp sage dried
- To finish -
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Goats cheese
- Crushed black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃, line a baking tray and set aside.
- In a large sheet of foil add the pumpkin, potato, a pinch of salt and wrap it up. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft. You could also use leftover roast pumpkin and potatoes.
- Once soft, mashed the veg on a clean kitchen surface, add the flour, egg, more salt and pepper. Start by mixing the mixture with a fork, then switch to your hands and bring together to form a dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long cigar. Using a knife, cut the dough into pieces around 1inch in thickness and gently place on a floured tray. Repeat until all the dough has been portioned.
- Bring water to a boil, once bubbling add salt and start adding the dumplings into the water. When they rise to the top they are done. Using a strainer remove them from the water and transfer to a plate.
- In a sauté pan on medium heat add the butter, allow it to melt. Add the garlic, sage and toss in the cooked gnocchi.
- Allow it to brown and sizzle, before adding in the parmesan cheese, cooking pasta liquid and stir until combined. Adjust the seasoning before taking it off the gas.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, pumpkin seeds, goats cheese and crushed black pepper. Serve it hot.
Notes
- If you don’t have large stock pot, cook the dumplings in batches.
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