Pumpkin Gnocchi With Orange Butter

Pumpkin Gnocchi With Orange Butter

From Vegetables from an Italian Garden, published by Phaidon Press, $49.95


Preparation time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour resting

Cooking time: 15–20 min

Serves 6

Ingredients

— 1 x 900-g /2-lb pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and chopped

— 400 g /14 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

— 1 egg, lightly beaten

— 1 tablespoon olive oil

— 300 g /11 oz plain flour

— 50 g /2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

— salt

For the sauce:

— 2 oranges

— 100 g /3½ oz butter

— white pepper



Method:
Steam the pumpkin flesh for 25 minutes, until tender.

Steam the potatoes for 25 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat and mash the pumpkin and potatoes in a bowl. Stir in the egg, oil and flour, and then cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 1 hour. Shape the dough into long rolls about 1.5 cm/¾ inch in diameter and cut into 2.5-cm/1-inch lengths.


Press the little rolls of dough against the prongs of a fork to make them curved and ribbed on one side to make the gnocci. Thinly pare a strip of rind from half an orange and cut into very thin strips. Squeeze both the oranges and strain the juice.

Melt the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, then pour into a pan and heat gently until it turns very pale golden brown. Stir in take orange juice and simmer over low heat.


Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for about 5 minutes, until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warmed serving dish, spoon the orange butter sauce over them, sprinkle with the Parmesan and season lightly with pepper. Garnish with orange rind and serve immediately.

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