Pumpkin Gnocchi
Recipe By : The New Pasta Cookbook
- 1 small pumpkin, seeded -- cut in pieces
- (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup semolina flour
- 1/2 to 1 cup potato flour -- sifted
- salt and white pepper
- nutmeg
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter
- Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place pumpkin in a shallow baking dish, skin side up, pour in
3
tablespoons water and bake until tender.
Remove from the oven and cool. Peel off the skin and any burnt
surfaces,
then mash the flesh or put it through a food mill to yield 2 cups
of pulp.
(It's not recommended to use a blender or food processor, as the
resulting puree tends to be watery and lacks body.)
Put pumpkin in a large bowl, season and begin to work in the flours.
Use
all the semolina and as much of the potato flour as gives a soft
kneadable
dough. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Knead lightly until elastic.
Cover
and rest for 10 minutes.
Break off little pieces about 3/4 inch long. Roll them quickly
between the
fingers to obtain a smoother surface, then press them with the
thumb
against the curved back of a fork or grater to get the traditional
gnocchi
shape. Dust lightly with potato flour and rest for 10 to 12 minutes.
Melt butter in a saucepan and cook it over a medium heat until
golden
brown. Keep warm.
Cook the gnocchi, a few at a time, in boiling salted water. When
they
rise to the surface remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to
warm
bowls. Pour the butter over the top, sprinkle on some Parmesan
and serve
immediately. Extra Parmesan can be served separately.
NOTES
: Choose a richly-colored pumpkin for good texture and flavor,
and
work quickly and lightly with the dough to avoid toughness.
If
you are busy it is possible to boil the pumpkin instead
of baking
it, but the flavor won't be as intense, nor the texture
as firm.