Pillowy soft homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi, golden brown on the outside and bathed with a simple, stunning Sage Butter Sauce…. an EASY homemade gnocchi recipe, this is the stuff food dreams are made of!
Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi
The first gnocchi I ever made turned out black. Wait – not even black. If it was black, you might get away with claiming that it’s exotic, or coloured with squid ink. Mine were grey.
I had slaved over them for hours. Made the classic way using mashed potato, I painstakingly followed every step in the lengthy recipe. I could envisage how impressed my family would be when I serenely placed the gnocchi in front of them, how they would praise me and exclaim how perfectly pillowy they were.
My vision did not come true. They were grey and they were hard. I am sure I remember my brother trying to bounce one off the table like a rubber ball.
Oh – just for clarity, this was back when I was in school. Did you think it was last week? 😉
Classic gnocchi made with potato is a recipe for more capable cooks. And while I have actually made it successfully since my first dismal effort, I’m still not always happy with the way they turn out.
Enter: the EASY way to make gnocchi. The secret? Ricotta!
Yes it really is this easy to make Pumpkin Gnocchi: just use a wooden spoon to mix mashed pumpkin, flour, parmesan, ricotta and egg, turn it out, no kneading, roll into ropes then cut.
And if you want to make your gnocchi look like what you get at restaurants, all you have to do is use a fork to press lines onto the cut side of the gnocchi. Worth the effort? I think so. It creates ridges which = more crispy golden surface + the butter sauce clings to it better.
Plus, it just looks pro, doesn’t it? 🙂
I shared a plain Ricotta Gnocchi recipe a couple of years ago. I really wanted to take the basic gnocchi up a notch so I decided to make this a pumpkin gnocchi.
I wasn’t 100% sure I could make it work, and truth be told it took quite a few batches to get it exactly right. I even dragged my mother in for recipe testing.
I am so glad we persevered though, because in all honesty, the pumpkin totally makes this gnocchi. Besides making it a beautiful bright orange colour that looks so spectacular when tinged with golden brown, it adds sweetness and moisture into the gnocchi. You can’t actually taste the pumpkin – much like you can’t actually taste potato in classic potato gnocchi – but you know it’s there. You can’t miss it!
The little trick I found that really makes a difference is to extract some moisture out of the pumpkin simply by putting in on paper towels in a colander for a few minutes. Doing this reduces the amount of flour required by almost 1/3 cup which = softer gnocchi.
As for the sauce….well, I could have gotten more creative but the fact is, Sage Butter Sauce is always my first choice for gnocchi. It’s simple but luxurious, and let’s the Pumpkin Gnocchi shine through.
And if we’re going to make homemade gnocchi, let’s make sure we do it justice by making the sauce using a great quality butter. Hands down, my favourite butter has always been Lurpak. It is without a doubt the best butter that is sold at supermarkets here in Australia. In my humble opinion. ❤️
I almost fell off my chair when I was asked if I would create a recipe for them. I started babbling with excitement, exclaiming how Lurpak has always been my butter of choice. The ideas just rolled off my tongue, I just kept saying I couldn’t believe this was happening, it was meant to be!!
I worked really hard on this recipe, and I truly hope I’ve done Lurpak proud. I’m certainly proud to have been selected to work with them, and I’m really proud of this recipe.
Oh! And just one more thing I want to mention – you don’t need an insane amount of butter to make the sauce for this Pumpkin Gnocchi. In fact, I think you’ll be surprised how little is required. Just enough to coat the gnocchi and have some drizzled on the plate. You don’t want the gnocchi swimming in butter – it’s just too rich.
One more thing I remembered – THIS FREEZES GREAT. The gnocchi cooks from frozen in about 1 1/2 minutes and takes about 5 minutes to pan fry and make the sauce.
Just think – the next time you’re cooking to impress, can you imagine the reaction you’ll get if you serve them homemade gnocchi? That don’t look like grey rubber balls??? – Nagi xx
Gnocchi Lovers!
Easiest homemade gnocchi ever – Ricotta Gnocchi
Pan Fried Gnocchi with Pumpkin & Spinach – quick and easy, made with store bought gnocchi
Malfatti – Cousin of the gnocchi, made with spinach and ricotta
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ready to see how easy it is to make Pumpkin Gnocchi? 🙂
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Easy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Gnocchi Dough
- 300 g /10oz fresh pumpkin , steamed or boiled then mashed or 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup ricotta , full fat (Note 2)
- 1 1/4 cup plain flour (all purpose flour), plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Sage Butter Sauce:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 50g / 3.5 tbsp butter (Note 3)
- 20 fresh sage leaves
To serve:
- Black pepper (and salt if needed)
- Parmesan
Instructions
- Line a colander with 4 sheets of paper towel. Spread the fresh mashed pumpkin or canned puree onto the paper towel (see photo in post) then leave for 5 minutes.
- Measure out 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (scale up if you scaled recipe, Note 6).
- Place pumpkin and remaining Gnocchi ingredients in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix well – it should be a soft dough. (Note 4)
- Dust a work surface with flour, tip dough out, sprinkle with flour then pat into log shape.
- Cut into 6 pieces. Roll into 1.7cm / 2/3″ ropes, then cut into squares (Note 5).
- Optional: Use a fork to press down lightly on the cut side of the gnocchi.
Cooking
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
- Scrape gnocchi onto parchment paper, then tip into water. Cook for 1 minute or until all the gnocchi rises to the surface (means it is cooked), then drain.
- Meanwhile, melt about 1 teaspoon of the butter plus oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi and cook, shaking the pan, until the gnocchi is just starting to turn brown (about 1 1/2 minutes).
- Add remaining butter, once it melts, add sage leaves. Stir and cook for 2 1/2 minutes or until gnocchi is golden, sage is crisp and butter is slightly browned. Add salt if you used unsalted butter.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan and pepper.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This fabulous Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce is brought into this world with many thanks to Lurpak which has been my butter of choice for as long as I can remember. If you make your own homemade gnocchi, it deserves the very best butter!!! N xx ❤️
LIFE OF DOZER
Post Pumpkin Gnocchi snack nap.
OH EM GEE.
This is insane. In the best way. Just finished a dinner I wish I had made 100 000 times more portions of. If I had to have a last meal on death row this would be right up there with my top 3 options.
I am familiar with the art of the gnocchi but had never attempted with pumpkin before. I am in love.
To those pondering whether to make this for dinner: dooooo it. You will get a restaurant quality dish. If I had ordered this I would have been so happy and gone back again tomorrow.
Thank you Nagi for this divine dish!
Hi there! loved this idea, since I already had just about everything in the kitchen. Unfortunately, mine didn’t seem to cook all the way through, even after leaving them in the pot for some extra time. I’m pretty sure I made my squares the same size as yours. Any other ideas as to what could have gone wrong?
Do you think I could use homemade thick yoghurt instead of ricotta? My yoghurt is so thick it’s spreadable. Not easy to find ricotta where I live
Not for this one Michele, sorry! 🙁
Nagi,
I have made so many of your recipes and loved each and every one. I have never tried to make Gnocchi before, so was a little hesitant. I made this yesterday, but only cooked a bit as it was just me. I absolutely LOVED IT! I put the remaining gnocchi in the freezer as you suggested. I am having a dinner party this weekend and have decided to make more and use as a starter.
Thanks so much for making a difficult dish easy and fun. What an amazing combo of tastes.
Love hearing that Patti! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi
I have a queation, wanted to try this recipe tomorrow, you say:
2. Measure out 1/2 cup of pumpkin
So you inly use 1/2 a cup of pumpkin and discard the rest??? Didn’t really follow you here..
Thanks!
That’s right Daniel! Measure out 1/2 cup, save the rest for another use! 🙂 N x
So, measuring out 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, then only using 1/2 cup in the recipe assumes that you’ll drain off 2T + 2t with paper towels?
Tried this recipe tonight. The gnocchi turned out amazing but went a bit chewy after frying in the pan. Also by adding the oil with the butter it lost a bit of flavour. I’m still in love with the idea of this recipe, yet next time I do it I will brown the butter and finish the sauce before I toss in the gnocchi. I’m also thinking of trying the recipe with half the amount of ricotta and 1 and a half times the amount of pumpkin.
Hi Kerri! Did you have them in the pan for long? The saute part should be pretty quick 🙂 I’ve glad you enjoyed it though! N x
I made this tonight it was great! I didn’t make the sauce though because I paired it with a beef, mushroom, spinach, and mozzarella ragu. We all loved it and my 9 old has two serves with nothing left over (and none on the floor :)). Will definitely keep this in the repertoire!
9 months I should say 🙂
This recipe rocks. I substituted cottage cheese for ricotta because I didn’t have ricotta. It worked out great! Pam fried with leftover Greek chicken and spinach. Omitted sage. I should have added salt or more cheese but trying to watch it. We loved it!!! ThAnk you for all your inspiration. You cook exactly how I like. Fast simple and yummy. So far I have tried your Greek chicken with lemon rice, your no yeast pita bread, your no creaming chocolate chip cookies, your cottage pie, your Mongolian beef, and now your gnocchi. Go girl. Love your dog, your pix and videos and your connection to Japan. I love that place too.
WOW you’ve made so many!!! YUMMMMMMM!!! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes – and crazy Dozer! N x
I love the recipe, and it’s very popular at home. For some reason, I always need more flour than given in the recipe, maybe because there is still too much moisture in the pumpkin. I made it once with whole wheat flour which also turned out great. The only thing which puzzles me is the given preparing and cooking time. Not including the cooking of the pumpkin, it takes me at least 2 hours to make the gnocchi. But otherwise great recipe.
Hi Petra! I’ll double check that, thanks for the heads up! The amount of flour definitely does require adjustment, that’s just the way it is with dough-type recipes! So glad you love this as much as I do, I have some in the freezer and can’t wait to make it again!
A friend (married to an Italian) gave me the secret of potato gnocchi — handle the dough like scones — ie as little as possible. So many recipes say to “knead well.” Don’t! You’ll get little rubbery balls. Just bring it all together and roll out. I also cook and mash the potatoes the day before, and let them dry out in the fridge. Works every time.
I’m going to try your pumpkin gnocchi –thanks. I make spinach and ricotta gnocchi and it’s yummy.
Thank you for the tips!! I will give them a go next time I make potato gnocchi! N xx
We’re going to try this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner next week in Philadelphia, PA (USA). This year’s theme is Italian-style Thanksgiving. Looking forward to it. Sounds fabulous.
I hope everyone loves it Paul! N x
I’m thinking of trying with butternut squash – should be give or take the same I guess?
It will be the same 🙂 I make this with squash (we call it butternut pumpkin here in Australia) and pumpkin, all varieties. But not sweet potato 🙂
I would like to make these gluten free, is there a flour replacement you recommend?
I’m sorry Riley, I have’t tried 🙂 N xx
My mouth is literally watering looking at this recipe… I LOVE the combination of brown butter and sage.
Hope you love it!!! N x
I have made potato gnocchi many times but always wanted to try with pumpkins. This recipe is delicious and easy to make. The gnocchi are very light. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so pleased to hear that Nives! Thanks for sharing your feedback! N x 😊
Hi! I’m just about to make this recipe, however I was wondering… your ingredients mentions to measure out 2/3 cup of puree but then your method says to measure our 1/2 of puree… which one do we use?!
Hi Jay! Start with 2/3 cup of puree because after you remove the excess water, you want to ensure you still have 1/2 cup left to use in the recipe!
I made these yesterday, it came out AMAZING! It’s the first time I made gnocchi so it took some time, but it come out very tasty. 🙂 Thank you so much for the great recipe!
That’s fantastic to hear Reut! Thanks for leaving a review! N x ❤️
Thanks for the great recipe. It Came out perfect, I like all your little tips/details after the recipe.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Tom! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know – N x
This was sooo good, despite the fact that my dough ended up a bit thicker (had to add a bit more flour because I drained the pumpkin too long). I think I ate 2 whole servings! Lol!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this Mary! Thanks so much for letting me know – N x
My mouth is watering! I cannot wait to try this (Cape Town, South Africa)
I hope you do Kim! It is so crazy delish! N xx