One Gnocchi to Rule Them All

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Accompanied by Roasted Brussels Sprouts

In honor of the Hobbit being released this weekend, Lucas and I spent Friday and Saturday watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We also had to eat, right? So we decided to use some extra pumpkin puree that we had and make Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage.  The recipe tasted great and paired well with roasted Brussels sprouts. Many thanks to Jamie Z. for the recipe.

 

 

                                   

 

Now for the down dirty truth:

 

This recipe was freakn' hard.  It takes far more patience and time than expected.  Oh it seems so easy, boil some potatoes, mix it with pumpkin, and plop it in water.   But alas, the Gnocchi was far too powerful for mortals such as ourselves and by the end, we were near mad.  



Some Tips:

• You need a least 1 1/2 hours for this recipe. If you take the time, it will be fun and you'll be proud to have made your own gnocchi.
• Be ready for a ton of dough - recipe is for 4-6 and they mean it.  If I did it again, I would adjust the amounts and make less.
• Don't be afraid to use as much flour as you feel is right, it took more than 2 cups for us (but then again, that might be because we probably had a good 2 lbs of potatoes to start).
• Only use as much butter as you want. I only used 1/2-3/4 of a stick and that was more than plenty.
• Make your Gnocchi pieces small - this makes them easier to manage and cook faster
• Don't leave the Gnocchi in the water too long. Keep your eye on these bastards - I thought that they would somehow become more firm but they turn into a watery mess
• Recipe calls for making a separate Brown Butter Sauce that you pour over the Gnocchi.  Instead, I used less butter and lightly sauteed the Gnocchi for a couple mins in the Brown Butter Sauce. Unlike boiling longer, this did seem to help them get firmer.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups russet potatoes, peeled, then boiled until tender
• 1 cup pumpkin or squash purée
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Few twists freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• About 12 fresh sage leaves, minced
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mash or rice the potatoes and allow them to cool. With a fork, gently mix in the pumpkin puree, Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, pepper, salt
• Add flour a little at a time until you have a smooth, sticky dough. Briefly knead the dough in the bowl just until the last bits of flour have been incorporated.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil while you divide the dough into 6 pieces.
• On a floured surface, roll each piece into a long rope, one-half inch in diameter. Cut the rope into half-inch pieces. Use a floured fork to make shallow grooves in the gnocchi pieces.
• Immediately begin boiling small batches of gnocchi. They should rise to the surface after a couple of minutes. Once they rise, boil for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Test a piece from the first batch to make sure it is cooked through and not gummy, and adjust cooking time accordingly. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and add them to a lightly buttered bowl. Keep covered.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium-high and add the butter. Let it cook without stirring until the edges begin to brown. Stir in the sage and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the butter over the gnocchi and stir to coat. Ladle into bowls. Serves 6 to 8.

Sauteing in butter goodness


The Sprouts!

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Toss that all into an ungreased baking dish/ sheet and bake 12-15 mins at 375 degrees, or until they are lightly browned on top. (Next time we may try flipping them halfway through.)

• Halved Brussels sprouts, 2 lbs
• 1 juiced lemon and some lemon zest
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste