This tasty and soft Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce is a perfect combination of harmony and authenticity, perfect for autumn!
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Pumpkin is undoubtedly one of my favorites for the fall season.
Like every year, when this period arrives – and that coincides with my birthday (YAY) – colors and aromas all around inspire me. Then I like to experiment with new seasonal recipes that weld my heart and soul.
Today’s recipe in my opinion perfectly fits my mood, with its irresistible warm, sweet, and creamy flavor.
This Potato Gnocchi with pumpkin creamy sauce has a unique and rustic taste, that always delights my guests but with low calories.
Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable, which contains large doses of vitamin A, potassium, and minerals. It is dietary and easy to digest because it is made up of large quantities of water.
As I said, this is a light recipe too! It’s very low in fats nutritious and gives a pleasant feeling of satiety. Moreover, you can easily get a vegan version by eliminating eggs from the gnocchi dough!
But let’s get to the Gnocchi.
I believe that for every Italian (and not) Gnocchi represents a true irrepressible joy.
In the past, for the poorest people, a Gnocchi meal was considered a sort of “rich” meal. For this reason in Italian tradition people still use to cook Gnocchi for special events. There is also an ancient proverb that says “Ridi, ridi …che mamma ha fatto gli Gnocchi” (in English it can be translated more or less: Keep laughing that mom made gnocchi ”!
For me, making homemade gnocchi and savoring them with seasonal condiments is something magical!
How to make Perfect Potato Gnocchi
Making potato gnocchi at home is much easier than you think. When I was a child, my grandmother kept me with her while she prepared them for Sunday lunch. I remember that for me it was a party. She left me shape gnocchi with my small fingers…..and she winked at me when I secretly stole some from the wooden worktop.
The basic steps to prepare the gnocchi are essentially four: 1) boil, peel and mash the potatoes 2) mix the potatoes with the egg and flour 3) form many snakes of dough to be cut into the preferred size 4) let it rest for a few hours to make the gnocchi firmer and harder.
Further on you will find detailed indications with doses and times.
Useful tools to Make Gnocchi
– Wooden Board Worktop. I love this Maple one because the wood contains naturally occurring enzymes that eliminate bacteria and have studies proving its ability to halt the growth of and kill bacteria. Good for any kitchen task and perfect to make pasta, doughs, and any kitchen task.
– Potato Masher. My favorite is this one, because of the easy leverage and the ergonomics, that help hands to not get sore while using it. But you can choose the one you like the most.
– Multi-purpose Scraper. If you already follow me, you know I can stay this is a tool I can’t stay without. It’s ideal to work with dough and pasta and this one has measuring too.
– Gnocchi Board. A wooden board will help you to give your pasta and gnocchi a special and sophisticated shape, like a true pasta maker!
How to prepare Pumpkin to make a thick and Creamy Sauce
There are certainly many ways to cook Pumpkin. Some of them use cream, milk, or cheese to make it creamy enough to be used as a sauce.
I simply toss the pumpkin in a pan, adding around half glass of tepid water and letting it cook over low heat for a longer time. This way allows me to have a creamy sauce but not adding any cream or thicken, which is perfect for a more natural and genuine recipe.
On the other hand, if you prefer, you can roast the pumpkin. Bring oven to 200 C° ( 392 F°), reduce pumpkin into slices about 2 cm thick (no need to remove the skin), place the pumpkin on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Let it cook for about 20 minutes. When cooked, the skin will easily tear away by itself. You can season the pumpkin as indicated in the recipe direction, and once ready, pour on the cooked gnocchi.
Another healthy option is to steam the pumpkin. Follow the steps indicated for baking, but placing the pumpkin into the steamer. Take care that with this method, the pumpkin will have a more delicate and less intense flavor, so I suggest you complete the dish with a sprinkle of parmesan or amaretti.
Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
This tasty and soft Potato Gnocchi with creamy Pumpkin Sauce is a perfect recipe that combines harmony and authentic flavors in a rustic way, perfect for autumn!
Ingredients
To make Gnocchi
- 1 kg potatoes
- 400 g flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
Pumpkin Sauce
- 500 g pumpkin
- 1 clove of garlic
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 15 leaves (1 sprig) parsley
- 1 chili pepper
- salt and balck pepper
- ½ glass of water
Optional
- 30 g grated Parmesan
- 2 Amaretti biscuits
Instructions
Gnocchi Basic Recipe
- Wash the potatoes and put them with the peel to boil in a pot with water and coarse salt. Cooking times vary according to potatoes size. Potatoes will be perfectly boiled when punching it with a fork you reach the center easily. Consider about 30/40 mins.
- Drain, peel, and mash potatoes using a potato masher.
- Flour the work surface, pour the mashed potatoes and the flour in the center, add the egg, the fine salt, and start kneading vigorously until it becomes elastic but firm.
- Using a scraper, take a small of the dough. Flour the top again and with your fingers, roll the dough to form a long, cylindrical snake, about 1.5 cm thick.
- Cut the gnocchi so as to form dough balls 1-2 cm in size.
- Repeat until all the gnocchi are made, then let it rest on the
floured surface (preferably made of wood so it absorbs the excess water of the potatoes) for at least 2 hours.
Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
- Cut the pumpkin into cubes and remove skin, filaments, and seeds.
- Put in a bowl and add salt and pepper.
- Put a wok-type pan on the stove, heat 4 tablespoons of oil, 1 large clove of garlic, and 1 chili pepper.
- Pour the squash into the pan and cook over medium / high heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 8 minutes, if it dries, add ½ glass of warm water, lower the heat and continue to cook for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is flaky and creamy.
- When cooked, turn off the heat, remove the garlic and chili pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley and set aside.
To prepare Gnocchi with creamy pumpkin sauce
- Pour 2,5 or 3 lt of cold water in a large pot, adding 1 tablespoon of coarse salt when it starts to boil and a few drops of oil (this will help prevent the gnocchi from sticking together).
- Slowly and having care to not press them, pour gnocchi into the boiling water. Melt gnocchi 2 or 3 times during cooking with a wooden or silicone spoon (do not use metal spoons, otherwise the gnocchi would stick).
- Let gnocchi cook for about 2 minutes or until they start to go floating over the water surface.
- Meanwhile, put the pan with the cooked pumpkin back on the heat.
- Drain the gnocchi with a skimmer directly into the pan with the pumpkin and stir.
- Stir-fry for a minute, then turn off and serve.
Notes
To give an extra touch sprinkle the dish with some optional ingredient: a dose of grated Parmesan cheese or with a couple of crumbled amaretto biscuits.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1002Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 1421mgCarbohydrates: 153gFiber: 11gSugar: 9gProtein: 32g
Nutrition Data is automatically calculated and may be not accurate.
This Potato Gnocchi with creamy Pumpkin Sauce recipe is suitable for an everyday meal but also for special occasions. For a special lunch or on holidays, have a look at our Chicken & Meat recipes to create a perfect menu!
I hope you’ve loved this recipe as much as I do!
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Not vegan if it contains egg!
Wow this sounds fantastic! I have had pumpkin ravioli before, but never a pumpkin sauce. Yum!
Yummy! I’ll have to try this for my next recipe 🙂 I just made a pumpkin soup that was amazing! Great post! xo
I am loving all the pumpkin recipes at the moment. I’ve never attempted to make gnocchi from scratch before though so that one would be a new challenge!
I have been meaning to make gnocchi for a long time and this looks perfect for fall. Adding to me to-make list.
I love pumpkin! This looks like a perfect fall recipe.