Pumpkin Gnocchi with Smoked Ricotta

serves: 3-5 people

 Ingredients:

• 1.1 lbs ( 1/2 kg  ) – Pumpkin
• 7 oz (200g)  – Italian “00” Flour
• 1-Egg
• Salt-white pepper-nutmeg – to taste.

Procedure:

• Remove the peel and scrape and remove the seeds from  the pumpkin.

• Cut into one-inch size pieces.  Boil the pulp  in lightly salted  water. Or, bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

• Strain the mixture, if boiled, and let drain for a few minutes to remove excess water. Then add to a mixing bowl and purée with a hand blender or old-fashioned potato masher.

• Once pureed, let cool.  Then add the flour and egg, stirring vigorously with a whisk until mixture is smooth.

• Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

• Once dough has rested, dust the work area with mixture of equal parts of flour and semolina.  Form a rectangular shape that is even all around and approximately one index finger high. 
  

Rolling procedure

Then proceed by cutting of the dough into strips and rolling into uniform ropes.  At this point, the gnocchi may begin to stick to your work surface.  Now is where many people go wrong!

Do not re-adjust the entire dough by adding more flour! 

Simply dust the work area with the flour-semolina mixture and gingerly roll out the uniform ropes.

The inside on the dough should remain moist and unaffected by the additional flour from the work area.

cutting the gnocchi

Once the dough has been rolled out, they can be cut in gnocchi-sized pieces.  A good rule of thumb is to cut them as wide as your index finger.  Roll each piece on the floured gnocchi board or a floured fork.

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Lightly salt.

Butter Sage Sauce:

• 1 1/2 –  Sticks, unsalted butter
• 5-7 – Fresh whole Sage leaves
• 1/2 cup – Hot water reserved from pasta cooking water

Procedure:

• Melt butter in a pan, over medium heat.
• Swirl in sage leaves until the perfume is released.
• Add pasta water. This will create a froth in the pan once the hot water is added to the hot butter.

• Stir well over medium heat to reduce by half.

Cook the gnocchi:

Pumpkin Gnocchi – Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Add the gnocchi to a pot of rapidly boiling salted water.

Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon after they rise to the surface and toss in a pan where you created sauce.

Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste

•  Sprinkle the dish with grated smoked ricotta cheese and serve immediately.