Pumpkin Gnocchi with Melted Leeks, Dill, and Gruyere  

Image: http://mydailypumpkinrecipe.blogspot.com/2008/12/pumpkin-gnocchi.html

Today's The Great Pumpkin Cook-Off at work. I figured there'd be dozens of pies and cakes and breads and cookies, so I decided I'd take a different path and made pumpkin gnocchi last night. I had to type up a recipe for it this morning, so here you go.

If you have conscience vegetarians (as opposed to health vegetarians) around the table for Thanksgiving, you might offer this as their main course; with all the butter and cheese, though, a health vegetarian would probably decline rudely and touch off this year's version of The Grand Family Holiday Squabble, Semifinals Round 1. (Grand finals are held on Xmas.)

Anyway, yeah, I missed my chance to post this on Foodie Tuesday. My bad. 

Traditional gnocchi are a fresh pasta made from potatoes, eggs, and flour, rolled and shaped by hand, and served with a wide variety of sauces.

This variation makes use of readily available canned pumpkin in the place of potatoes to create a hearty, warm, savory autumn side dish (or a vegetarian main course option for the Thanksgiving table).

 Serves 10-12 as a side dish, 6-8 as a main dish. 

Step 1: Make the Gnocchi

• 1 large can pumpkin puree (20 oz.) [Purists may feel free to roast and puree their own pumpkin, but the hassle factor just ain't worth it to me]
• 2 eggs
• 5-6 cups flour (plus more for rolling)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic (optional) 

Thoroughly mix pumpkin, eggs, nutmeg, sea salt, pepper, and garlic (if using) in a large working bowl. Fold in 5-6 cups flour, stirring as little and as gently as possible, to make a dough that is extremely soft and just this side of sticky. (I use my hands to mix in the flour—it’s messy, but it gives you more control over the process.) Do not overwork the dough; too much mixing will make the gnocchi chewy, heavy, and elastic.

Flour a work surface liberally. Cut off one small handful (~½-cup) of the dough at a time. Using your hands, roll each piece into a long cylindrical “snake” on the floured worksurface, roughly ¾ inch in diameter.

Using a pizza wheel or a very sharp knife, cut each cylinder into ¾”-1” wide pieces.* Place cut gnocchi on a baking tray lined with waxed paper to rest/dry slightly.

This recipe fills 2 ½ to 3 large baking trays with gnocchi; roughly 5 lbs. (It took me nearly 45 minutes to get through rolling and cutting all the dough. You may wish to enlist chatty help for the rolling and cutting. Wine also helps. For you, not for the gnocchi.)

At this point, the gnocchi may be cooked immediately or held in the refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 4 hours.

*It is traditional to further shape gnocchi by rolling the pieces along the tines of a fork; I find absolutely no flavor or textural benefit to this step, and it’s ridiculously tedious, so I’ve taken the liberty of skipping it.

Step 2: Make the Sauce 

• 3 sticks butter
• 3 leeks (white and light green parts only), quartered lengthwise, then minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a 10” sauté pan. Allow the butter to remain on the heat for a  few minutes until it foams and then begins to brown slightly and smells nutty. At this point, reduce the heat and add the minced leeks and seasonings. Stir occasionally and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the leeks are soft. Remove from heat.

Cool slightly, then transfer the warm sauce to a large work bowl.

 Other Sauce suggestions: Many pumpkin gnocchi recipes call for a sage brown butter sauce. I chose to do something different mainly because I had leeks to burn! Other possibilities: alfredo, pesto, home-made Caesar salad dressing, hollandaise, or just a basic light white sauce enhanced with a dash of nutmeg and pepper. (Don’t even think about using a red sauce. I mean it. Ick!) 

Step 3: Boil the Gnocchi 

In a large stock pot, bring an abundance of generously salted water to a rolling boil.

Working in batches, 20-30 gnocchi at a time, slide the raw gnocchi into the boiling water. Boil gently for 5-7 minutes, until the gnocchi float to the top of the water. Using a slotted spoon or a sieve, remove finished (floating) gnocchi and place them in a large bowl containing the finished sauce. Stir each batch into the sauce to coat. Cover bowl with foil between batches to retain heat.

Step 4: Garnish and Enjoy 

Garnish

• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ¼ cup grated gruyere cheese

When all gnocchi have been cooked and sauced, transfer the entire contents of the workbowl into a serving dish. Scatter with a generous amount of dill and cheese.

Other Garnish Options: Sage is the traditional herb associated with pumpkin gnocchi; you could trade it for the dill. Basil would also be tasty, as would a judicious amount of rosemary or thyme. Just pick ONE. Don't go all nuts on the herbs and muddy up your flavors. Also, you have options when it comes to cheese; I picked what I had in the fridge. Parmesan or Romano would work just as well, as would a nice crumbled blue or feta. Use your imagination and resources.

Wine Suggestion: This dish pairs exceedingly well with a creamy or oaky Chardonnay. For a special occasion, serve with a crisp, dry champagne or Spanish Cava (at just $5.99/bottle, I highly recommend Trader Joe’s M. Chevallier).