Pumpkin Gnocchi in Pesto Cream

Fall and winter Sundays induce a yearning to cook in my very soul. I remember my mom making cinnamon rolls on winter Sunday afternoons, filling the house with warmth and fragrance. But man cannot live by bread alone, so we made gnocchi last Sunday, as the showers of leaves covered our grass and football reigned supreme on our television.

Our family loves gnocchi, usually as a side dish, sauteed in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter until it’s crisp on the outside, fluffy inside. For this, I tried the traditional method of boiling the gnocchi to cook it, then topping it with a decadent-tasting sauce (but it’s really fairly healthy!).  And, since it’s fall, I made pumpkin, not regular potato gnocchi.

The process sounds daunting, but it really took less than an hour, start to finish, and provided lots of bonding time with my middle kid.  He was very impressed that we could make gnocchi from scratch!

Pumpkin-Gnocchi-ChaosServed

As usual, the middle hooligan loved being my sous chef.  He did a great job shaping the gnocchi, and I have a confession to make…my family ate this like an appetizer.  I plated it to take photos, and they kept sneaking bites out with toothpicks.  Before I knew it, the pasta plate was empty, save a few smears of the sauce that they couldn’t pick up with toothpicks. It would probably serve four or five as a main course.

Pumpkin Gnocchi in Pesto Cream

Gnocchi:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp nutmeg

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups chicken broth (or 1-3/4 cups and add ¼ cup white wine)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp prepared pesto

1. To make gnocchi: Combine flour, pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg to form a sticky dough.

2. Turn dough onto a well-floured board.Pumpkin-Gnocchi7-ChaosServe

3. Roll/pat into a 12” x 3” log.Pumpkin-Gnocchi6-ChaosServe

Pumpkin-Gnocch5-ChaosServe4. Cut lengthwise into six (½” thick) strips, then crosswise into 12 (1-inch) pieces. Roll each piece to slightly round it, then press with a fork.Pumpkin-Gnocchi4-ChaosServe

Pumpkin-Gnocchi3-ChaosServe5. Place gnocchi on lightly floured pan while boiling your water and preparing sauce.Pumpkin-Gnocchi2-ChaosServe

6. Bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add half the gnocchi and cook three minutes, until it floats. Remove with slotted spoon to colander. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.

7. To make sauce (while water boils): Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour and whisk for thirty seconds, then whisk in broth (and wine, if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about three minutes, until thickened. Stir in pesto and Parmesan.

8. Place cooked gnocchi on pasta plate, then top with sauce.

Click here for the printable recipe

About Megan

My various hats: mom to three crazy teens and one quirky dog, wife of 27 years to my retired GI Joe, and high school math teacher. After my husband's retirement from the Army, we've settled in the Pacific Northwest. Crafting, cooking, photography, and reading keep me sane (that's a relative term!) and I hope you'll enjoy following along as I navigate the chaos of life!
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6 Responses to Pumpkin Gnocchi in Pesto Cream

  1. Stephanie A. says:

    Ohhh yum! I’m getting ready to head off to bed, but I really want to try this recipe NOW. Oh, pumpkin and pasta, together, in the same item……heaven.

    Here’s a challenge for you Megan. I’ve always loved spaghetti, and chocolate. As a girl, I wanted spaghetti for my birthday dinner and chocolate cake for desert. Then I always thought “what if I could have chocolate spaghetti. What a combination.” Of course it couldn’t TASTE like traditional spaghetti. It needs to taste chocolaty. Not regular spaghetti with chocolate sauce. Actual chocolate spaghetti pasta. I wonder…….hmmmm…….

    • Megan says:

      I think YOU should try that chocolate pasta…then I’ll blog it and give you credit! I once made Frank a cake that looked like spaghetti and meatballs…it was buttercream frosting piped on to look like spaghetti, homemade chocolate truffles for the meatballs, and melted raspberry jam for the red sauce. Pretty amazing that he didn’t go into a sugar coma.

  2. Hmm. This looks like something that is fun to try to do – and tasty to eat. A weekend experiment! Thanks.

  3. Brittany says:

    Omg, the gnocchi itself is made with pumpkin!? I bet that would actually be very good. I might have to try this!

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