Do try my crunchy pan seared pumpkin gnocchi with ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese… This homemade gnocchi recipe is a great autumn side dish!
Pumpkin gnocchi are so much fun to make!
I was overwhelmed by the result. I must say that earlier attempts were OK but still I found the gnocchi a little too chewy and tacky for my taste.
Chewy Gnocchi
Why?
What was I doing wrong?
I had tasted fabulous gnocchi in restaurants in the past. So why were mine not that good? I tried to make gnocchi by the book. And still I would end up with a silly plateful of cooked flour.
Crispy Ricotta & Pumpkin Gnocchi
And that gnocchi dough would just not come together at all.
Or it was too tacky, or it turned out to be so dry. Not nice at all.
But then I came across a recipe for pumpkin gnocchi that showed me another way of preparing them. The secret behind fabulous gnocchi: bake the fresh pumpkin in olive oil, avoid water at all costs! Also don’t boil or steam the pumpkin because the pumpkin will absorb extra water.
Boil or Bake
And it will make your gnocchi dough so gooey and sticky.
Which will then also make you add way too much flour to the dough. And in the end the gnocchi will be too heavy and chewy.
Another thing I did differently here: I pan seared the gnocchi in olive oil instead of boiling them in hot water. And because of that the gnocchi crisps up nicely. Also add some fresh thyme for extra flavor in the end…
And you have a winner side dish on your dinner table!
Cheese
Oh I could also serve these gnocchi as a starter with some grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, olive oil and cracked black pepper on top.
Excellent!
Do you love making gnocchi?
Then you should also check out my classic gnocchi recipe!
Enjoy!
Easy Crispy Ricotta & Pumpkin Gnocchi Recipe
Crunchy pan seared pumpkin gnocchi with ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese... This homemade gnocchi recipe is a great autumn side dish! And also fun to make...
- 8 oz fresh pumpkin (225 g), cleaned
- ½ shallot chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves chopped
- 3,5 oz ricotta (100 g)
- 1 small egg
- 1 oz parmesan cheese (28 g), grated
- 7 oz plain flour (200 g)
- 2 oz corn grits (55 g), or polenta meal
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- olive oil
- ground cinnamon
- pepper
- salt
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Add a tablespoon of butter to a large pan and place it over medium heat. Add the diced pumpkin, garlic and shallot.
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Stir fry the pumpkin for 5 minutes or until it starts to soften. Take the pan off the heat and let the pumpkin cool. Then add it together with the ricotta to a blender.
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Pulse into a smooth puree. Then season with pepper and salt. Add the egg and grated parmesan.
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Pulse again. Add the plain flour and corn grits.
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Pulse until you get a smooth but not sticky dough. Add a pinch of cinnamon.
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Blend the dough one last time. If it's too sticky, add extra flour.
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Transfer the pumpkin dough to a floured surface and knead it for a minute. Wrap it in a piece of cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
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Unwrap the dough and quickly knead it again. Roll it into sausages and cut it into even portions. Press them lightly with a fork to make the classic pattern. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Add the gnocchi and thyme.
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Bake the gnocchi on all sides until lightly brown. Season with pepper and salt.
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Transfer the gnocchi to a serving plate. Sprinkle with extra grated parmesan and fresh thyme. Serve hot.