Easy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce Recipe
This Easy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce is a delightful autumnal dish combining soft, pillowy gnocchi made from fresh or canned pumpkin with a fragrant sage-infused butter sauce. The gnocchi is lightly pan-fried for a crispy exterior, then tossed in browned butter and crispy sage leaves, making it a perfect comforting meal that’s simple to prepare yet impressively flavorful.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Gnocchi
- 300 g (10 oz) fresh pumpkin, steamed or boiled then mashed, or 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour), plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 50 g (3.5 tbsp) butter
- 20 fresh sage leaves
- Black pepper, to taste
- Salt, if needed (depending on butter used)
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare pumpkin puree: Line a colander with 4 sheets of paper towel. Spread the fresh mashed pumpkin or canned puree onto the paper towels and leave for 5 minutes to absorb excess moisture.
- Measure pumpkin: After draining, measure out 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. Adjust quantities if scaling the recipe.
- Make dough: In a bowl, combine the measured pumpkin puree with ricotta, flour, parmesan, egg, salt, and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
- Shape dough: Dust a work surface with flour, turn out the dough, sprinkle more flour on top, then pat it into a log shape.
- Cut gnocchi: Cut the log into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into ropes about 1.7 cm (2/3 inch) thick, then cut into small square pieces.
- Optional fork pressing: Lightly press each gnocchi piece with a fork on one side to create ridges that help hold the sauce.
- Cook gnocchi: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Scrape gnocchi onto parchment paper, then carefully tip them into boiling water. Cook until they float to the surface, about 1 minute, then drain.
- Make sage butter sauce: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon of butter with olive oil. Add gnocchi and cook, shaking the pan, until they start to turn golden, about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Finish sauce and gnocchi: Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Once melted, add sage leaves. Cook, stirring, for 2 1/2 minutes until gnocchi is golden, sage is crispy, and butter is browned slightly. Add salt if unsalted butter was used.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Using paper towels to drain excess moisture from the pumpkin puree helps achieve the right dough consistency for gnocchi.
- Full-fat ricotta adds creaminess and moisture to the dough, enhancing the texture of the gnocchi.
- Butter quality impacts flavor; browned butter with crispy sage leaves gives a rich, nutty taste.
- Adjust flour quantity slightly if dough is too sticky due to pumpkin moisture.
- Fork-pressed ridges are optional but help the gnocchi hold more sauce.
- This recipe can be doubled easily to serve larger groups.
Keywords: pumpkin gnocchi, sage butter sauce, Italian gnocchi, autumn recipes, homemade gnocchi, easy pumpkin recipe
