Pumpkin + Cauliflower Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce + Whipped Ricotta
If there’s one thing I love more than gnocchi, it’s making gnocchi at-home with Jordan. It’s just such a fun project + date-night all in one. We talked about having a hard stop to our Monday so that we could go all in on making gnocchi together, and that’s exactly what we did. Had a hard stop to our day so we could make Pumpkin + Cauliflower Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce + Whipped Ricotta.
I have the fondest memories of me and my husband making gnocchi together. It was a first time thing we tried during the pandemic, and we had so much fun tackling this one together + making a total mess of our kitchen that we did it a couple times. It just seemed right to bring it back in the mix, and do a little holiday gnocchi making. And this year, just like every year, I’m all in on the holiday inspired meals for every meal - even for our average weeknight meals. Hence the choice of pumpkin +cauliflower + sage. So many Fall flavors packed in a truly homemade pasta, and it was a perfect Monday meal.
If there’s one thing I love more than gnocchi, it’s making gnocchi at-home with Jordan. It’s just such a fun project + date-night all in one. We talked about having a hard stop to our Monday so that we could go all in on making gnocchi together, and that’s exactly what we did. Had a hard stop to our day so we could make Pumpkin + Cauliflower Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce + Whipped Ricotta. I feel like it’s widely unknown that this is an achievable pasta to make + execute very well - especially for the at-home cooks.
Flavor In the sauce…and the pasta
The fun part of this gnocchi is all the fun things loaded into the dough. Pumpkin + cauliflower + parmesan cheese - whipped up + rolled out + shaped into rough and ready bitesize gnocchi pieces. Jordan + I were snacking on them right after we pulled them out of boiling water (pre-saucing them), and the flavor is so so yummy. A very good example of packing some real deal Fall flavors right into the pasta.
Also to note - anything with a butter sauce instantly sounds indulgent. This is no exception. But point to be made is I lightened this one up with quite the generous portion of stock, so it’s like a butter sauce….but lighter (as light as possible), and we’re here for the attempt to make it healthier. The butter sauce, as simple as it is, adds such a good flavor. The fresh, pillowy pasta crisped up in a butter + herb sauce with crispy sage pieces mixed in is just too die.
It’s all in the crunch
Two crunchy pieces are key here. One.- the crispy sage. You cannot under-estimate the flavor + total enjoyment of crispy, crunchy sage leaves. For a pasta that really has no other veggie or sautéed component as a back-up dancer, the sage kind of does it all in terms of flavor. Veggie loaded gnocchi pieces + crispy sage - all the flavor that’s needed. Crunchy no. two - roasted hazelnuts right on top. A good handful mixed right on top, and then a little sprinkle right on top of the pasta. Plus - the nutty flavor of the browned butter sauce pairs perfectly with hazlenuts.
Extra piece of crunch - fresh arugula. I literally put fresh arugula on every single pasta dish that comes out of our kitchen, and it was no different here. Had to add the greens. And I stand true in my belief that fresh arugula is needed with any pasta dish.
Whipped everything
One of the secrets in the world of cheese is whipped cheese is the best cheese. Whipped feta, whipped goat cheese, and in this case whipped ricotta. It’s so velvety and instantly more excited + enjoyable than ricotta in plain form. And lord knows you gotta have cheese with your pasta! This ricotta base layer - smeared on the plate as a little bed for the pasta is a fun change-up from the usual parmesan sprinkle.
A festive + fun holiday meal for just us two in the books, & it felt like an official kickstart to the 2021 holiday season. Now bring on all the fun holiday meals!
For the pasta
1 head of cauliflower, cut into floret + steamed
1 c. pumpkin
1 egg
3 c. flour
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1 tsp salt
For the sauce
1 stick of butter
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. hazelnuts, roughly chopped
15-20 sage leaves
pinch of salt + pepper
Ricotta
Start by putting your steamed cauliflower in the food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer 1 cup of the cauli to a stand mixer (the rest can be saved for later), and add in all ingredients for the pasta. Attach a dough hook + turn the mixer to low. Gradually increase the speed to medium, mixing until everything is well combined + the dough pulls away from the bowl. It should be sticky, but will form into one ball with little to no dough stuck to the sides of the bowl.
Rinse out your food processor + add the ricotta cheese (at least 1 cup). Whip for a minute so it’s velvety smooth, then set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to serve up the pasta.
Back to the gnocchi - turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and cut the dough into 4 pieces. Form each of the four pieces into a long rope, about 1 inch thick, and do this by rolling out the dough into a log - starting the center then working to outer ends. Use your finger as a measuring tool, and cut into equal pieces (or use a ruler to cut into 1 inch bites). Place the gnocchi pieces onto parchment lined baking trays (you’ll need at least 2). Once done, working one pan at a time, add the gnocchi to salted boiling water. Add in all gnocchi on the pan, and when they start to float, scoop them out with a slotted spoon + place back on the baking tray. Repeat with thee 2nd baking tray.
Now make your sauce. Add the butter to a saute pan over medium heat, and cook until the butter melts. Add the garlic + shallots, and saute for 5-6 minutes. You want the garlic + shallots + butter to toast, but not burn, so turn down the heat to medium low if needed. Add in the hazlenuts + sage leaves, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Then de-glaze the pan with the broth and increase heat to high to bring the sauce to boil. Keep on high heat until the sauce is reduced by half, so about 10 minutes. At this point, add in the gnocchi from one of the baking sheets + 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the gnocchi. Cook on medium high for 7-8 minutes.
To assemble, spread a layer of the ricotta on the bottom of bowl. Top with a small handful of fresh arugula, and ladle hot pasta right over the top. Finish with a small sprinkle of leftover hazelnuts.