“Making gnocchi with pumpkin is fun and a little bit different. People underestimate the versatility of the pumpkin.” – Tracy Zizek, Kitchen by Brad.
Pumpkin Gnocchi
| 1 med | pumpkin (about 2 lb) |
| ½ t | grated nutmeg |
| ½ t | salt |
| ¼ t | white pepper |
| 2¾ c | flour |
| The Cheesiry’s Kitskoty sheep’s cheese for garnish (or aged Italian pecorino) | |
| toasted pine nuts, for garnish |
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake pumpkin whole for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until a sharp knife can be inserted with ease. Cool until the pumpkin can be handled. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Scoop out flesh and purée in robot coupe or food processor.
Place purée in a large bowl. Add seasonings and flour and mix by hand. The dough will be quite sticky still.
Flour countertops and hands. Take small parcels of dough and roll to the thickness of your index finger. With a floured sharp knife, cut dough into small, bite-sized sections. If the dough is too sticky to work with, you can add more flour, but keep in mind that the more flour added to the dough, the more dense and heavy the gnocchi will be.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and put gnocchi in. Cook for roughly 5 minutes or until al dente.
Spinach Purée
| 1 head | fresh spinach |
| ½ med | yellow onion, diced |
| ¼ c | white wine |
| 1 T | butter |
| heavy cream | |
| sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste |
Sauté onion and spinach in butter until onions are translucent. Purée mixture in blender, then season. In a separate pot, heat white wine and reduce by ¼. Add spinach purée and simmer until a sauce- like consistency is reached. Finish by whisking in cream. Take off heat.
To serve: after gnocchi has been boiled and drained, heat a large pan with olive oil. Place gnocchi in pan and fry until golden. Add spinach purée and toss to coat the gnocchi. Place in pasta bowl. Grate Cheesiry’s aged pecorino over and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
Serves 6.