Il Cucinologo
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Pumpkin Gnocchi with Parmesan, Red Cabbage and Speck

17/11/2023

Pumpkin gnocchi are a delicious and comforting dish, perfect for the autumn or winter season. Here’s how to prepare them with an unmistakable Italian touch thanks to parmesan, red cabbage and speck.

Ingredients

  • 600 g of already cleaned pumpkin
  • 200-250 g of flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 egg
  • Nutmeg to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Grated parmesan
  • Red cabbage, about 200 g
  • Sliced speck, 100 g
  • Butter to taste
  • Sage to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Start by cutting the pumpkin into pieces and baking it at 180 °C until soft, which may take about 30-40 minutes depending on the pumpkin. Once cooked, blend or mash it until you get a puree.

  2. Pour the pumpkin puree into a bowl, add the egg, a grating of nutmeg and salt. Start adding the flour gradually while stirring, until you get a compact dough that is not too sticky. The amount of flour needed may vary depending on the moisture of the pumpkin.

  3. Flour the work surface, take a piece of dough at a time and form long “sausages”. Cut them into pieces about 2 cm long to form the gnocchi. If desired, you can roll each gnocchi on a fork or gnocchi board to get the classic ridged shape that holds the sauce better.

  4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water and drain with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the surface.

  5. Meanwhile, cut the red cabbage into thin strips and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of oil until wilted but still crunchy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  6. In another pan, melt some butter and add the sage leaves until they become crispy. Add the cooked gnocchi to this pan to coat them in the flavored butter.

  7. Serve the pumpkin gnocchi hot with the sautéed red cabbage, parmesan shavings and speck cut into strips or cubes that you can lightly brown in a pan before adding to the dish if you prefer a crispier texture.

The contrast between the sweetness of the pumpkin and the bold flavor of the speck, combined with the savoriness of the parmesan and the vibrant color of the red cabbage, creates a dish that is beautiful to look at and delicious on the palate. Enjoy your meal!

Fun Facts

Pumpkin gnocchi are an autumnal variation of classic gnocchi and represent one of the many faces of Italian cuisine, which uses seasonal ingredients to create dishes that vary across the peninsula according to the harvest and local traditions.