Pumpkin Gnocchi tastes like a fancy restaurant dinner but it’s a recipe you can easily make yourself at home. Learn how to make delicious homemade pumpkin gnocchi with a sage butter sauce for a cozy fall dinner that your family will love.
I love to make homemade gnocchi because it’s not difficult and, like pasta, it can be served in so many different ways. Not to mention homemade is so much better than the packaged kind you can buy at the store.
During the fall, I like to use pumpkin or other kinds of squash, like butternut squash, to make pillowy soft gnocchi. Of course, the best sauce to serve it with is sage butter which just makes the whole dish taste like the best fall comfort food.
I’m sharing my best tips for tender gnocchi that’s never gummy, tough, or too chewy. This recipe is similar to my traditional potato gnocchi with the addition of pumpkin puree which adds a little flavor and a nice color. Once you try it, you’ll only want it homemade from now on.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Pumpkin or other winter squash like butternut squash
- Potatoes – best to use russet or Yukon gold
- Large egg yolk
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese – always better than packaged
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Flour – all purpose or 00
Recipe Steps
Slice the pumpkin (or other squash) and cut the slices in half. Place them on a prepared cookie sheet and roast them at 380°F (180°C) for 30 minutes or until they are very tender.
Cool the roasted pumpkin and then remove the skin and mash the flesh with either a fork or potato masher.
Next, boil the potatoes until they are tender. Let them cool until they are warm and then mash them. Combine the pumpkin puree with the warm mashed potatoes in a large bowl.
Add the egg yolk, cheese, salt, and nutmeg and mix to combine.
Add the flour a little at a time until the dough starts to come together. Once the dough forms, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Add the rest of the flour and gently knead the dough to form a soft dough. The dough will be a little sticky.
Form the dough into a disc or rectangle and then pull off pieces to form dough balls (it helps to flour your hands). Place the formed gnocchi on a floured surface and dust them with a little flour. Let the gnocchi rest while you get the water boiling to cook them.
Boil a large pot of water and add a little salt. Once it’s boiling, add the gnocchi. Cook them until they float to the surface of the water and then scoop them out. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to boil them in batches.
Sage Butter Sauce
To make the sauce, just place butter and fresh sage leaves in a large pan or skillet. Heat and once the butter is melted add the boiled gnocchi and cook them in the sauce for about 15 seconds.
Serve the pumpkin gnocchi with grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
You can make this recipe with pumpkin, but I think butternut squash works better because it has less moisture.
If you use pumpkin, I recommend roasting one. Sugar pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins or sweet pumpkins) are best for cooking. They are smaller and have a much better texture and flavor than the ones that are meant for carving.
If your squash puree has a lot of moisture, you will need to add more mashed potatoes to the recipe to absorb the excess moisture. Don’t use more flour – it will make your gnocchi dense and tough.
Canned pumpkin puree is going to have more moisture than pumpkin you roast and mash yourself. If you use it, you will probably need to add more mashed potatoes to compensate for the excess moisture.
Whatever kind of winter squash you use, if you have extra puree you can freeze it to use later in a recipe.
FAQ
Yes, once you’ve made the dough and formed the gnocchi, you can freeze them. Place them on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm, then move to a freezer safe bag or container. When you are ready to cook them, just boil water and drop them in straight from the freezer.
Leftovers will keep for three days in the refrigerator.
A light sauce pairs best with gnocchi. Garlic butter flavored with herbs and garlic, marinara sauce, and even a delicious fresh pesto all pair well.
Gnocchi is hearty and filling so I like to pair it with a lighter side dish. A tossed green salad or roasted vegetables are great side dishes.
Homemade pumpkin gnocchi tossed in the simple sage butter sauce is the perfect dinner for a chilly fall day. You will love how delicious this dish is – Buon Appetito!
More Gnocchi Recipes
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups pumpkin/squash* puree*
- ½ cup potato mashed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1-2 pinches salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1¼-1½ cups all purpose flour
*The best squash to use is a butternut, it has less moisture. If your squash is overly watery then add 1 cup of mashed potatoes rather than more flour.
SAGE SAUCE
- 4-5 fresh sage leaves
- ¼ cup butter (salted, more if needed)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the squash and cut in half, place on the prepared cookie sheet and roast for approximately 30 minutes or until very tender. Let cool to the touch then remove the skin and pass through a ricer or mash well with a fork or potato masher.
- Boil the potatoes (I used 2 small) in boiling water until tender, cool a few minutes then either mash or pass through a ricer.
- In a large bowl add the pumpkin puree and the mashed potato (while still warmish but not hot) and mix well. Add the egg yolk, parmesan cheese, salt and nutmeg and combine. Add the flour a little at a time until the dough starts to come together. Move to a lightly floured flat surface, add the remaining flour and gently knead to form a soft dough, it will be sticky, so do not add more flour.
- With lightly floured or damp hands pat the dough into a circle or rectangle and with lightly floured hands remove pieces to form a small round ball. Place the formed gnocchi on a plate or board sprinkled with flour, dust the gnocchi with a little flour. Let them rest while the water is boiling.
- Boil a large pot of water, add a little salt and add the gnocchi (depending on how large the pot is you may need to boil them in batches). The gnocchi are ready when they float to the top. With a slotted spoon remove them from the water and place in the pan with the sage butter sauce. Cook for 15 seconds, tossing to coat in the sauce and serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy.
SAGE BUTTER SAUCE
- In a large pan add the butter and sage leaves, cook on medium heat until the butter is melted.
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