Pumpkin Gnocchi

I am not a very inventive cook. I tend to prepare the same dishes over and over. (My husband is so kind and uncomplaining.) Occasionally, however, a recipe jumps out at me, and I just have to try it. That was the case with this recipe for Pumpkin Gnocchi. I expected it to be hard; it wasn't.  It does take some time, but it makes a fairly large batch, and I think it is delicious. And it has pumpkin in it!

The recipe suggests serving it with a special sage butter, but I loved it with my absolute favorite homemade pasta sauce, Kit Jensen's Chicken Pasta Raphael. 

Pumpkin Gnocchi

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c russet potatoes, peeled, then boiled until tender

1 c pumpkin or squash puree

1/4 c grated Parmesan

1 egg

1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg (I used about 1/8 t dried)

few twists freshly ground pepper

1/2 to 1 t salt

1 1/2 to 2 c unbleached, all purpose flour

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mash the potatoes and allow them to cool. With a fork, gently mix in the remaining ingredients except flour. Add flour a little at a time until you have a smooth, sticky dough. Briefly knead the dough in the bowl just until the last bits of flour have been incorporated. (I just used my KitchenAid.)

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil while you divide the dough into 6 pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a long rope, one-half inch in diameter. Cut the rope into half-inch pieces. Roll each piece of gnocchi down the back of the tines of a floured fork to make sauce-holding shallow grooves. (I'm not very good at grooving, but it held the sauce just fine.) Set the pumpkin gnocchi on a floured baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Immediately begin boiling small batches of gnocchi. They should rise to the surface after a couple of minutes. Once they rise, boil for 2 to 3 minutes more. Test a piece from the first batch to make sure it is cooked through and not gummy, and adjust cooking time accordingly. 

Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and add them to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover to keep warm.

(Source of the recipe and picture above: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/pumpkin-gnocchi-zmrz1209zmar.aspx#axzz3PKZoIBOA)

Kit Jensen's Chicken Pasta Raphael

2 chicken breasts

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 t salt

Red pepper flakes to taste

3 8 oz, cans tomato sauce

2 16 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 16 oz cans artichoke hearts

2 c chopped onion

2 T minced garlic

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 t dried basil

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 t black pepper

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Cut into bite-size pieces. Brown chicken in olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute 1 minute. Drain the artichoke hearts. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes to the chicken. Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes. (I often let mine simmer longer.) Stir in the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese and parsley just before serving. Heat to serving temperature. Serve over gnocchi (or angel hair pasta).

Delizioso!