Pumpkin Gnocchi With (Vegan) Sage Butter Sauce

Gnocchi is a comforting dish all on its own, but adding pumpkin to the mix makes it an especially tasty autumn meal. In this article, we’ll show you a simple recipe for pumpkin gnocchi to help make the most of your seasonal produce.

Head to your nearest farmers’ market and get yourself a pumpkin. This seasonal squash is often associated with sweet desserts and treats like scones, muffins, and specialty coffee beverages, but it has so much more potential than that. Savory dishes made with pumpkin are becoming more and more popular and with good reason! We’ll show you how to make pumpkin gnocchi at home so that you can enjoy this comfort food anytime. 

How to Make Pumpkin Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups cooked pumpkin (approx. 1¼ lbs)
• 2⅓ cups flour 
• 1 egg 
• salt 
• pepper 

Tip: If you’re using a fresh pumpkin, don’t throw away the seeds! Roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven is easy and makes for a nutritious snack. If you can’t use up all the pumpkin flesh in this recipe, don’t worry: pumpkin is safe to eat raw!

Instructions

1. Pass the pumpkin pulp through a ricer into a large bowl. Let cool until almost at room temperature, at least 20 minutes.
2. Lightly flour a work surface. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the egg to the pumpkin and then add the flour mixture. Mix with your hands until the flour is moistened and the dough starts to clump together. Gather the dough together and press it against the bottom of the bowl until you have a solid ball. Transfer it to the floured surface and wash your hands.
3. Knead the dough gently until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough is soft, smooth, and a little sticky. Don’t overmix it, or the gnocchi will be tough. Place the dough off to the side, and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
4. Remove any lingering bits of dough from your work surface and lightly re-flour the surface. Tear off a piece of dough about the size of your fist and put the towel back on the rest of the dough so it doesn’t dry out.
5. With the palms of both hands, roll the dough piece on the floured surface into a rope about 3/4 inch in diameter. With a sharp knife, cut the dough rope evenly to get your pumpkin gnocchi, and place them out of the way, on a floured section of counter space.
6. Repeat until you run out of dough, adding more flour to the work surface as needed.
7. Cook in boiling water until the gnocchi float to the top. Transfer them to your sauce when finished cooking. 

If you’ve got leftover cooked pumpkin, try making vegan pumpkin cheesecake, a healthy pumpkin smoothie, or one of these out-of-the-box pumpkin recipes. 

Sage Butter Sauce

Due to the delicate flavor of the pumpkin gnocchi, you’ll want to choose a sauce that will enhance it, not overwhelm it. A sage butter sauce is a great choice. Here’s how to make it: 

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter or vegan butter alternative
• 1 clove of garlic, minced 
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped sage leaves
• salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the butter starts to bubble, add the minced garlic in. 
2. Stir the garlic butter for approximately 1 minute before adding the chopped sage leaves. 
3. Continue to stir your mixture until the butter is nicely browned and has a rich, nutty aroma. 
4. Flavor with salt and pepper, then add your gnocchi. Toss to coat all the gnocchi before serving. 

Read more: 

• Vegan Apple Pie Recipe: A Seasonal Favorite
• Cinnamon Tea: 4 Health Benefits and How to Make Your Own
• Can You Eat Pumpkin Skin? Hokkaido, Butternut Squash, and More

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Tags: Cooking Fall Guide Recipes