Sweet potato and pumpkin gnocchi with burnt butter and sage sauce

I have wonderful memories of making fresh gnocchi with my Nonna as a child, right into adulthood. This is a ‘modern version’ of the traditional potato gnocchi made by her, and makes wonderful use of the beautiful fresh sage I have growing in the garden. Happy cooking!

Gnocchi Ingredients


400g sweet potato, cubed
400g pumpkin, cubed
1 cup white plain flour (if you find the dough mixture still wet and sticky, keep putting in flour!)
1 x egg yolk

Sauce Ingredients

100gm butter
Handful of fresh sage leaves and/or dry sage
Salt and pepper, to season

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Grease a baking tray with olive oil (or use baking paper underneath) and place the cubed sweet potato and pumpkin into the tray.
Roast until the potatoes and pumpkins are soft.
Put the potatoes and pumpkins through a mouli (if no mouli, mash them, or squeeze them through a sieve), into a large bowl.
Put on a pot of salted water; bring it to the boil.

Making the dough

In a large bowl, add salt and pepper (be generous) to the mashed potato and pumpkin.
Add egg yolk.
Add half of the flour and start gently mixing/ kneading into a soft dough.
Add more flour to the dough if needed (you’re after a soft, non-sticky consistency).
When the consistency is right, soft and not too sticky, put the dough onto a floured bench top, to continue kneading a bit more, and make into nice round ball.
Once the dough is in a big ball, cut off smaller sections and roll into thin “logs/snakes”.
Cut along the thin long dough, about every 2-3cm.
When the pot has boiled, place some of the gnocchi into the water (don’t cook too many at once).
When they rise, remove with strainer ladle and put into a bowl of iced water.
Repeat the process until all gnocchi are cooked and in the iced water (that stops the gnocchi cooking).

Making the sauce

Put a large frying pan on medium heat.
Place butter in pan.
Place the sage into frying pan
Add salt and pepper
Once the butter has melted, place the gnocchi into the pan and fry until there’s a little bit of colour.
Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if you like (but of course you like! Who doesn’t like Parmesan cheese!)

This quantity serves 3 comfortably. If you have a big family, just double the recipe.

Sweet potato and pumpkin gnocchi with burnt butter and sage sauce.

Cheers!