It’s Pumpkin Season!  Ok, honestly, I could take or leave a lot of the crazy pumpkin flavored products that flood the market this time of year…but I have always loved Fall. I love the cooler days and the gorgeous foliage here in New England; I especially love feeling inspired to spend Sundays in the kitchen with the range running and delicious smells filling the house.  And one thing that says “It’s Fall!” to me is pumpkin ricotta gnocchi (with a healthy dose of sage brown butter, of course!).

Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings and they may be flavored with cheese, potato, herbs or even chocolate or prunes. I typically find that gnocchi dough made from potatoes is easier to handle, but may produce a heavy finished product. Conversely, dough made from ricotta is more difficult to work with, but the gnocchi are light and tender. The answer? A combination of both, with pumpkin standing in for potato in this Autumn version.

This is a dish that can be made in advance (see notes for freezing at the end) and is both festive enough to serve as a first course for Thanksgiving and elegant enough for a dinner party. 

Edit: Thanks to a wonderful reader, I have been made aware that this recipe works well with gluten free flour! She used Cup for Cup. I also like Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend.

Recipe and Ingredient notes for Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi

Pumpkin: Either canned or fresh pumpkin work well here, but the secret is to remove excess water. Cooking the pumpkin puree briefly on the stovetop drives off excess water and intensifies the pumpkin flavor.

Flour: Either all-purpose or the Italian type 00 flour work well.

Technique: The flour is given as a range, because how much you will need to use will depend on the moisture content of your pumpkin and ricotta. The key to tender gnocchi is a) add only the minimum amount of flour needed to prevent sticking and b) do not overwork the dough, as this will develop gluten.

Add just enough flour to the dough so that you can shape it. Your work surface and your hands should be lightly floured.  

After the dough rests, divide it into eight pieces. Cover the ones that you aren’t using with a towel. Roll each piece out to about 15″ long and cut into 3/4″ pieces. Transfer the pieces to a parchment lined baking sheet. Optionally, you can use the tines of a fork to create ridges on the gnocchi.

Cover your gnocchi until they are ready to be cooked.

Or… freeze them on the baking sheet. When they are completely solid, transfer to a ziplock bag and store in the freezer until you are ready to use them. The gnocchi can go directly from the freezer to boiling water.

Cooking:

Everything comes together quickly at the end, so while the salted water is boiling, set up a colander inside a bowl and start browning the butter in a skillet.

The sage is cut very finely and added to the brown butter.

The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pan of water. When they float to the surface, they are done and can be removed to the colander with a slotted spoon.

Carefully transfer the drained gnocchi to the brown butter and sage mixture. The gnocchi can be cooked briefly in the brown butter, to just transfer the flavors or they can be cooked a little longer until the outside is golden and crispy. Your call! They are both delicious.

Serve with freshly ground pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

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Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi

A recipe for pumpkin and ricotta gnocchi, served with a brown butter and sage sauce

Ingredients

• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 C ricotta cheese whole milk
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg yolk
• 3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 1/4-2 1/2 C flour
• 1 stick butter
• 4-5 leaves sage slivered

Instructions

• Cook pumpkin puree over very low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. The pumpkin will darken in color and become dryer.
• Combine pumpkin, ricotta, egg, yolk, Parmesan, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium low speed until smooth. Add about 2C of flour and mix until just combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Continue working additional flour into the dough until it is smooth and you can just work it without excessive sticking.  Cover with a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keep the rest covered), roll it out into a 15″ rope. Cut the rope into 3/4″ pieces and transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet. Keep the gnocchi covered until you are ready to cook them, or freeze immediately.
• To cook: Bring a large pan of well salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the water. They will sink. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon.
• For brown butter and sage sauce: Place a stick of butter in a skillet. Heat over medium low until the butter foams and then the solids become golden brown. Watch it carefully to avoid burning. Add the slivered sage.
• Carefully transfer the drained gnocchi to the skillet with the brown butter sauce. Beware of spattering! Mix to combine and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Alternatively, the gnocchi can be cooked for a few minutes in the butter until they are golden and crispy.

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