My fried pumpkin gnocchi recipe makes a mouth-watering treat, the delicate golden dumplings served tossed in fragrant combination of sage butter sauce or sage oil for a vegan version. Make it with seasonal pumpkins in autumn or enjoy it the easy way at any time of the year, using pumpkin from a can.
Pumpkin gnocchi with sage
I love gnocchi as a change from pasta or rice. They are so much easier to make than home made pasta, and much more interesting than plain boiled or mashed potatoes. At their best, they are light, fluffy and gorgeous.
See Also
- My original Pan Fried Gnocchi recipe is easy to make and ready for any sauce you create.
- Rich and savoury, this baked gnocchi dish is a power packed flavour combination – Blue cheese, butternut squash & gnocchi bake
- Flavoured with an earthy North African spice, these gnocchi are perfect topped with fried onions. Try our butternut squash gnocchi with harissa onions
Gnocchi are a particular favourite of the northern Adriatic coast of Italy. Pumpkins are one of the great staples of the Veneto, so this seems a natural pairing and absolutely delicious. I think this pumpkin gnocchi recipe is my best gnocchi yet.
Instead of using the pumpkin as a sauce, I have incorporated it into the gnocchi themselves. It gives them them a golden yellow colour and a rich flavour that is perfect match for the earthy astringency of that under-used herb, sage.
In the photos, I have fried the gnocchi in just enough sage butter to form a little sauce, Veronese style. I sometimes use the more Mediterranean olive oil instead, however, which makes a great vegan version.
To make this into a main dish, I have added some wilted spinach and served with cherry tomatoes.
No-fuss gnocchi
Gnocchi are easy to make and only take a few minutes. Once made, cooking them takes no time at all. They just need a couple of minutes boiling, followed by about the same in the sage butter.
This is also a great recipe for batch cooking. Gnocchi are easy to make in bulk, and can be frozen for another day.
You can make this easy pumpkin gnocchi recipe with any roasted and mashed autumn squash. I like to make life easy, however. Canned pumpkin works just fine and is far easier. It also makes this an economical recipe at any time of year.
Why make pumpkin gnocchi with sage
- They’re delicious and full of flavour
- So easy to make and an interesting change from pasta
- Vegetarian, and an easy swap makes it vegan
- Affordable but indulgent
- Freeze a big batch and then cook in no time.
Fried pumpkin gnocchi ingredients
- Potatoes – floury, for mashing. Try Desiree, Estima, King Edward or Maris Piper.
- Sage – several fresh leaves
- Flour – regular white flour: plain or self rising, whatever you have in the cupboard.
- Pumpkin – either pumpkin purée from a tin or roasted mashed pumpkin or other winter squash
- Olive oil or butter – butter is richer and I do like the way it forms that crust on the fried gnocchi, but olive oil is great too and makes the dish dairy free
- Spinach (optional, not shown) – fresh young leaves to wilt into the gnocchi
- Pumpkin seeds or pine kernels (optional, not shown) – I always keep a jar in the kitchen and like to toast a few as a garnish for soups, salads and pasta dishes.
How to make fried pumpkin gnocchi – step-by-step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 cm (half inch) cubes. Boil a saucepan of water and cook the potatoes until soft. This will take about 15 minutes. Drain them and leave in the colander for a few minutest to let them steam dry. Then transfer to a mixing bowl.
Step Two – Break up the potatoes with a knife or fork and then give them a quick mash.
Step Three – Add the canned pumpkin to the potato and mash together, making sure they’re well blended. Then mix in the flour, and season the mixture with salt and pepper. The mixture should hold together by itself; if it is too sticky, add more flour.
Take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll it between your hands into a small oval shape. Repeat until you have made all of the mixture into gnocchi.
Step Four – Slightly flatten each ball with a fork.
If they still feel sticky at this stage, leave the board uncovered in the fridge so they dry out a little. You can also prepare to this stage, cover and leave in the fridge to cook later.
Step Five – Gently heat the butter or oil in a frying pan. Add the sage leaves and cook until just crispy. Take out the sage, letting it drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
Step Six – Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Add the gnocchi, a small handful at a time. It will take about two minutes to cook each batch.
Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon as they start to float to the top. When they are all done, reserve a little of the cooking water.
Step Seven – Reheat the sage infused oil. Fry the gnocchi until they just start to turn brown.
Step Eight – Add the spinach leaves to the pan, along with a tablespoon of the cooking water. Stir together and cover. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Check seasoning, serve and enjoy.
Serving suggestion
We like this pumpkin gnocchi recipe with almost anything! Here are a few suggestions:
- Drizzle them with a little pumpkin oil.
- Serve them with fried mushrooms – a mixture of wild ones would be perfect.
- Use butter instead of the oil for a sage butter sauce.
- Serve them with chicken.
- Stir in some chestnuts and sprinkle a little crispy bacon on top.
- Toss them in a rich tomato sauce.
- For all-out indulgence, serve them in Alfredo sauce – cream, butter, cheese and black pepper.
- Try them with a blue cheese sauce.
- Grate a little smoked cheese over the top.
Variations
- Change the flavour – add some herbs, or your favourite seasoning blend to the gnocchi dough.
- Substitute pureed roasted butternut squash for the pumpkin.
- Vary the ratio of pumpkin to potato to taste.
Storage
Fridge – Keep the prepared, uncooked gnocchi in the fridge in an airtight box for 48 hours.
Freezer – Make a large batch and freeze the uncooked gnocchi on a silicon baking mat, or on a parchment covered baking tray. Once frozen pack into a freezer bag or airtight box.
To cook, drop the frozen gnocchi into a large pan of just-boiling water. They are cooked when they float to the surface, taking just a few minutes longer to cook than the fresh gnocchi.
Hints & tips
- Allow the potatoes to steam dry before mashing them. You want them to be as dry as possible so that the gnocchi will not become sticky.
- You can play with the ratios of potato to pumpkin, especially if using your own roasted and mashed pumpkin. I find canned pumpkin works well, but is more moist than roasting and mashing your own. If you want to make a version without potato, home roasted pumpkin will be more robust.
- Transfer any leftover canned pumpkin to an airtight plastic pot and freeze, or add to a homemade soup.
FAQs
No. You do need the flour to bind and firm up the gnocchi. If necessary, use a gluten-free flour.
Absolutely. Increase the quantity of pumpkin and add enough flour to bind.
I don’t think it needs meat, but sliced fried sausages work well with pumpkin, and pork sausages go with sage, so this might be a good option. Bacon is good too.
More fall recipes
- Roast butternut squash soup – gloriously golden autumn soup
- Slow cooker root vegetable soup – peel, chop and throw into the slow cooker with some stock, and let time work its magic!
- Root vegetable bread – easy homemade loaf with parsnips and carrot
- Vegetarian feijoada – a veggie twist on this Brazilian classic
If you are lucky enough to have a glut of pumpkin, why not try this pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato soup?
Pumpkin gnocchi
Ingredients
- 500 g potatoes
- 200 g canned pumpkin (half a can)
- 80 g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
- salt and pepper (to season)
- 30 g butter (or 2 tbsp olive oil)
- 8 sage leaves
- handful of spinach leaves
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 1cm /half inch pieces. Boil in salted water until soft. Drain well, allow to dry, Then transfer to a mixing bowl.500 g potatoes
- Add the pumpkin to the potato and mash, mixing well.200 g canned pumpkin
- Add the flour and mix in. Then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more flour if needed – the mixture should hold together and not be overly sticky.80 g plain flour, salt and pepper
- Take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a small oval shape, dust with some extra flour. Flatten slightly with a fork. Repeat for all the gnocchi mixture.
- Gently heat the oil (or butter) in a frying pan. Add the sage leaves and cook until just crispy. Remove, and reserve the sage.30 g butter, 8 sage leaves
- Heat a large saucepan of salted water until just simmering.
- Cook the gnocchi in small batches. They will initially sink, but after about two minutes will rise to the surface. Spoon them out with a slotted spoon and allow to dry for a couple of minutes on kitchen paper.
- When you have cooked your gnocchi, scoop out a cup of the gnocchi cooking water and put to one side.
- Fry the gnocchi in the sage flavoured butter in small batches, turning once, until golden. Return all the gnocchi to the pan.
- Make the sauce by adding a few tablespoons of the gnocchi cooking water to the oil. Allow to simmer. Stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt.handful of spinach leaves
- Serve with salad or roasted tomatoes, topped with the crispy sage leaves.
Notes
Storage
Fridge – Keep the prepared, uncooked gnocchi in the fridge in an airtight box for 48 hours. Freezer – Make a large batch and freeze the uncooked gnocchi on a silicon baking mat, or on a parchment covered baking tray. Once frozen pack into a freezer bag or airtight box. To cook, drop the frozen gnocchi into a large pan of just-boiling water. They are cooked when they float to the surface, taking just a few minutes longer to cook than the fresh gnocchi.Hints & tips
- Allow the potatoes to steam dry before mashing them. You want them to be as dry as possible so that the gnocchi will not become sticky.
- You can play with the ratios of potato to pumpkin, especially if using your own roasted and mashed pumpkin. I find canned pumpkin works well, but is more moist than roasting and mashing your own. If you want to make a version without potato, home roasted pumpkin will be more robust.
- Transfer any leftover canned pumpkin to an airtight plastic pot and freeze, or add to a homemade soup.
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