Roman-Style Pumpkin Gnocchi

Roman-style pumpkin gnocchi are an autumnal variant of classic Roman gnocchi, which are traditionally made with semolina. The pumpkin adds a nice color and a sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the recipe. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 1 kg pumpkin (cleaned and seeds removed)
• 250 g semolina
• 100 g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 g grated Parmesan
• Salt to taste
• Nutmeg to taste

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the pumpkin, cutting it into pieces and removing the seeds. Bake it in the oven at 180 °C until soft, about 30-40 minutes. Then, blend it to obtain a purée.
2. In a pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil and add the semolina in a steady stream, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Cook for about 10 minutes until the semolina pulls away from the sides of the pot.
3. Add the butter in pieces and the egg yolks to the cooked semolina, mixing well.
4. Incorporate the pumpkin purée into the mixture and stir until you have a homogeneous dough. Add a grating of nutmeg and adjust the salt.
5. Spread the dough on a lightly moistened surface to form a layer about one and a half centimeters thick. Let it cool.
6. Once cooled, use a round cookie cutter (or a glass) to cut out the gnocchi.
7. Arrange the gnocchi on a buttered baking tray, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a few knobs of butter.
8. Finally, bake the gnocchi in the oven at 200 °C for about 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy on top.

This is a basic recipe to which you can add variations if desired. For an extra Italian touch, you could dress the gnocchi with a melted sage and butter sauce, or add smoked provola to the dough for a bolder flavor.

Trivia

Roman gnocchi are a traditional recipe from Lazio cuisine and are usually served as a first course, but with the addition of pumpkin they can become the star of an autumn table.