In the past, more so than today, there was a funny saying in Italian families.
People used to say: “you are a pumpkin” or even “you are a zuccone (a big pumpkin)”.
The expression had two meanings.
It could indicate both hardness of understanding and stubbornness.
When I was a little girl, faced with my stubborn resistance to do/not do something, it used to happen that Mom would say, “You are such a pumpkin.”
Now that you know one of my best qualities, I return to pumpkin gnocchi.
Italian variety of pumpkins
In Italy, there are a lot of varieties of pumpkin.
But some are more suitable for making bread, gnocchi, cappellacci, or tortelli filling.
For this aim, I choose Delica, Mantovana, Chioggia sea squash, or Piacentina. It depends on what I’ll find at the market.
To make gnocchi, you need a kind low of water among those available in your country.
Choose a pumpkin that is not too large. Small ones usually have more flavor and less watery flesh. Between two pumpkins of the same variety, choose the one that weighs more and, better yet, if it has a dry petiole (again, because of a water issue).
If the petiole is green at the time of purchase, leave the pumpkin out of the refrigerator for a few days before using it.
The different, eye-catching shapes and vibrant colors are promises of goodness.
I consider it the best premise to cook a dish for making happy family and friends.
Pumpkin gnocchi
Grandma used pumpkin in many dishes, but I don’t remember her making gnocchi. On my table when I was a child, I remember, mostly, and often, potato ones topped with ragù or tomato sauce and Parmigiano.
For these gnocchi, I went back to my Bolognese non-cooking years.
Or rather, when I sometimes cooked on weekends or for dinners with college friends. Since the dish was, and is, cheap and colorful, I remember trying my hand at making them several times.
Not making them for a long time, I reread some recipes, noticing that many do not tell the correct amount of flour you will need to use. As a young person, this caused me many problems. So I’m going to tell you the truth. You will have to use plenty of flour.
I prefer using semolina flour because it gives a good flavor without making gnocchi heavy.
Making pumpkin gnocchi requires a little patience: SOME TIPS
Work the dough in the bowl. Turn it out onto the cutting board using a spatula.
The dough is sticky; make peace with this idea.
Use a spatula to pull off small amounts you will stretch out on the cutting board sprinkled generously with semolina.
Cut sticks and then, with a fork, gnocchi.
If you do not want them to melt in water, let them rest for an hour or two, laying them on a tray covered with baking paper and sprinkled with semolina.
Dip the gnocchi into the boiling water pot using baking paper (after this, remove the sheet from the hot water!).
I chose a simple dressing: shallots, very little cooked radicchio, and Taggiasca olives. Sprinkle with lots of Parmigiano, close the lid, and let the cheese melt.
Buona cucina e happy New Year, Monica
Last thought: I had not planned this as the first-of-the-year recipe.
It simply happened. Who knows, it may be a sign that heralds a different year. Perhaps more chaotic, but “one must have chaos within oneself to generate a dancing star” (F. Nietzsche).
Kitchen Notes
On the blog, I have posted a pumpkin soup with a gorgonzola heart, savory fritters, and quick and easy pumpkin lasagna. Among the sweet options, you can choose between a buckwheat pumpkin ciambella and a classic tart with creamy pumpkin filling.
On the blog, you can also find a recipe for eggplant gnocchi.
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Pumpkin gnocchi
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 teaspoons of olive oil
- 50 g of butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 200 g radicchio
- 50 g taggiasche olives
- grated Parmigiano to taste
Pumpkin gnocchi
- 500 g of cooked pumpkin pulp
- 100 g of 00 flour
- 100 g of semolina + that for work surface and trays
- 30 g grated Parmigiano
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- salt to taste
Instructions
Sauce
- Melt butter in olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and sauté gently for 2 minutes.
- Also, add the radicchio and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then add the taggiasche, stir, and continue cooking until the radicchio is soft, about 4 minutes.
- Turn off and set aside.
Pumpkin gnocchi
- First of all, use a sweet pumpkin, such a butternut squashor a kabocha. Then, if you want to get delicious, soft but compact homemadepumpkin gnocchi, you have to cook the pumpkin in the oven so as to make thepulp dry out.
- During the preparation, use your hands as little as possible. In a bowl, mix pumpkin pulp, salt, nutmeg, 00 flour, and half of the semolina.
- Sprinkle the cutting board with the leftover semolina and turn the dough over.
- Use the spatula to pull off amounts of dough you stretch out on the cutting board to form sticks with your hands.
- Then use a fork or spatula to cut out the gnocchi.
- Cover a tray with one sheet of oven paper and sprinkle with semolina. Place the gnocchi on the tray. If you don't want them to melt in water, let them rest for at least an hour or two.
- Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water. Let them fall into the water lying on the sheet of baking paper, which you then discard.
- When the pumpkin gnocchi rises to the surface, scoop them up with a slotted spoon or ladle and arrange them in the pan with the sauce.
- Place the gnocchi in the saucepan, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.
