Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free)

Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free) Formed as small pumpkins with pumpkin seeds on top to resemble pumpkins. Placed on a plate, served with browned butter, fried sage and parmesan cheese. Shown from front.

This recipe is for tasty, delicious and cute Pumpkin Gnocchi. A hand full of ingredients and 20 minutes is all you need to make these gnocchi. Make them for a weeknight meal or cosy weekend dinner. They’re also perfect to make in a really big batch and store in the freezer for when you want a quick and tasty dinner in no time. These pumpkin gnocchi are vegetarian and gluten free.

Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free) Formed as small pumpkins with pumpkin seeds on top to resemble pumpkins. Placed on a plate, served with browned butter, fried sage and parmesan cheese. Shown from front.


Gnocchi – not something I make very often, but when I do I always wonder why I make it so seldom. Because to be honestly, they’re quite quick and easy to make, can be made so many different flavors, ingredients and served with multiple toppings and sides. What I love most is that you can adjust them depending on season and what you have at home. These pumpkin gnocchi are the perfect example of how to make a fall version including pumpkin that is in season at this point. These pumpkin gnocchi are made with gluten free flour, egg, pumpkin purée (of course), ricotta and parmesan cheese. To get the extra fall feeling I love shaping these pumpkin gnocchi as small pumpkins. It really adds an extra fun and fall-like mode to the dish. They can be served with different types of sauces, like a mushroom sauce would pair so well with these pumpkin gnocchi. You can also serve them along with some chicken or meat. But I prefer to keep it easy by serving them with brown butter fried sage and grated parmesan cheese.

A few tips:

  • I used home cooked pumpkin purée, but you can use store bought purée as well.
  • I used butternut squash for these gnocchi, you can use other types as well. Just make sure it is a sweeter type of pumpkin.
  • Use a good quality ricotta that is creamy and fresh.
  • Adding parmesan cheese is optional but highly recommended.
  • You can also use other types of flavourful cheese. Pecorino, gruyere, Manchego, grana Padano just to mention a few would be great as well.
  • I use the back of a knife to carve the gnocchi to make them look like a pumpkin. Make sure to remove leftover dough from the knife to avoid it from sticking to the gnocchi while creating the pumpkin-like marks.
  • You can also cut the gnocchi into quarters or squares if you don’t want to make them pumpkin shaped.
  • Boil the gnocchi in simmering water just until they float up to the surface. Drain them well and place on a plate, making sure they don’t lie too close to avoid them from sticking together.
  • I love frying the bottom of these gnocchi in some butter/olive oil to get a crunchy underside, wile keeping them cooked on the top.
  • These gnocchi can be stored in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free) Formed as small pumpkins with pumpkin seeds on top to resemble pumpkins. Placed on a plate, served with browned butter, fried sage and parmesan cheese. Shown from above
Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free) Formed as small pumpkins with pumpkin seeds on top to resemble pumpkins. Placed on a plate, served with browned butter, fried sage and parmesan cheese. Shown from front.

Ingredients for these Pumpkin Gnocchi:

  • Pumpkin purée
  • Eggs
  • Ricotta
  • Gluten Free all purpose flour
  • Parmesan cheese (or any other aged flavorful cheese of your liking)
  • Sea salt
  • Butter/olive oil
  • Fresh sage
  • Pumpkin seeds (optional)
Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free) Formed as small pumpkins with pumpkin seeds on top to resemble pumpkins. Placed on a plate, served with browned butter, fried sage and parmesan cheese. Shown from front.
Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free) Formed as small pumpkins with pumpkin seeds on top to resemble pumpkins. Placed on a plate, served with browned butter, fried sage and parmesan cheese. Shown from front.

Other recipes you might like:

Pumpkin Gnocchi (Vegetarian, Gluten & Nut Free)

These pumpkin gnocchi are super tasty, tender, delicate and perfect to make both for a weeknight meal as well as for a weekend dinner.
Course Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine All around, Italian
Keyword Easy, Gluten-Free, Nut Free, vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 (1 1/5) dl (cups) Pumpkin purée (around 500g raw pumpkin)
  • 1 (2/5) dl (cups) Ricotta
  • 1 Egg
  • 7-7 1/2 + for dusting and rolling)(3) dl (cups) Gluten free all purpose flour
  • 1 (2/5) dl (cups) Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt

For the topping

  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 14-16 Fresh Sage leaves
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Pumpkinseeds

Instructions

  • Cook the pumpkin until tender and soft. Turn into mash using a hand mixer. Or use store bought pumpkin purée. (This can be made in advance).
  • Mix pumpkin purée, ricotta, egg, flour (add about 5 dl/2 cups and then add more gradually), parmesan cheese and sea salt. The mixture should be slightly sticky but still hold together and be firm.
  • Roll the dough into balls (I like to make different sized balls to make it look more rustic and differentiated).
  • Using the back of a clean knife (important, make sure to clean the knife between each carving to prevent the knife from sticking to the dough), carve edges on the rolled balls to resemble a pumpkin. Then gently press the gnocchi down to make it slightly more flat. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
  • Bring water with some salt into a boil. Reduce the heat.
  • Add 5-10 gnocchi (depending on the size) and let them simmer until they float up to the surface.
  • Drain well and place on a plate, making sure they don't tough each other to precent them from sticking.
  • Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
  • In a medium sized pan, heat butter over medium heat.
  • Add the fresh sage and stir to combine with the melted butter.
  • Add the pumpkin gnocchi and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom has turned golden brown.
  • Divide between plates, add pumpkin seeds on top of each gnocchi (optional) and grate parmesan cheese on top.
  • Serve immediately.

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