Pumpkin Gnocchi in a Butter and Sage Sauce

Here is a great recipe that all the family can get involved in and have fun with.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

For the Gnocchi

• 350g of Pumpkin or Butternut Squash
• 350g of Whole potatoes
• 1 tsp Cinnamon ground
• 1 tsp Ground nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper
• 300g of White all-purpose flour (extra flour for working the dough)

For the sauce:

• 150g butter
• 8 sage leaves finely chopped

Method

To prepare the pumpkin gnocchi, first peel the pumpkin and cut into slices/chunks, boil for 30 minutes in a large pan until soft and drain. Once cooked allow to cool slightly, pass through a food mill to get as smooth as possible.

While the pumpkin is cooking, peel the potatoes and boil for around 30 minutes in a large pan until soft and drain, allow to cool slightly then pass through a food mill.

In a bowl, combine the potato puree with the pumpkin puree, then add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper and knead until it forms into a smooth but soft ball.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (always salt the water). Transfer the dough to a floured pastry board, pull off palm size balls and roll into long sticks working from the inside out. Once long sticks have been formed, cut into pieces of around 1-2cm pieces but make sure they are all roughly the same size; you can use a knife or a pastry cutter.

Now roll each piece against the tines of a fork, or a gnocchi paddle, to create the ridges. These ridges help to hold the sauce more.

When the pumpkin gnocchi are ready, cook in a large pan with boiling salted water, and wait until they rise to the surface: as soon as they start to float to the top they are ready, drain with a slotted spoon and add to the pan with the sauce below.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sage and fry for a few minutes, then add the gnocchi to the saucepan and mix well.

Serve immediately, with the sauce of melted butter, flavoured with sage.

Buon Appetito…

Twins Tips (Twips)

You can add a gorgonzola sauce to the gnocchi which goes really well.

Crumble 150g – Gorgonzola dolce or piccante into chunks, and melt in a pan over medium-low heat with the 55g butter and 55g double cream. When ready, combine the gnocchi and the sauce, sprinkle with the Parmigiano Reggiano, and serve.