I've been meaning to make pumpkin gnocchi for several autumns but my last gnocchi experience left something to be desired. The end result was pretty tasty but I found the process so arduous that I have never tried it again. It is one of the few things (ravioli also tops the list) that I would rather leave to the pros.
This
recipe from steamy kitchen, however, is quick and easy enough for a weeknight. Weeknight gnocchi instantly deifies you as a certified domestic goddess. The key is that this recipe is for a ricotta-based gnocchi so the boiling, mashing, and cooling potatoes steps are completely skipped in favor of a base of pumpkin puree, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan.
When adding the flour, I was as gentle as humanly possible. This is definitely the time to get in there with your hands to minimize over-mixing. The less you can possibly mix it, the lighter your gnocchi will end up. Roll out gently and on a well-floured board and you have gnocchi in less than fifteen minutes.
The other key to this recipe is that the gnocchi are pan-fried instead of boiled. Cooked in a very hot pan, the gnocchi get crispy on the outside while remaining soft inside and the textural contrast brings a lot to the dish (according to my inner Tom Colicchio). After the gnocchi were cooked, I fried up some sage leaves which I crumbled over the finished dish.
Whenever possible, I like to make one dish meals so I cooked some thinly sliced crimini mushrooms in the finishing butter because, like gnocchi, mushrooms love butter and sage. Some spinach would be nice too. The splash (I used a glug) of balsamic vinegar added at the end makes a great sweet and sour glaze on the gnocchi. Although the pumpkin flavor gets lost, these pretty orange gnocchi are worth the (modest) effort.
This recipe only used about a quarter of a can of pumpkin so I made
this pumpkin bread with the remainder. A very fall-appropriate breakfast in some very un-fall south Texas weather.
