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Brown-Butter Pumpkin Gnocchi

4 modest main portions or 6 side portions Active 55 min Total 1 hr 40 min

Pumpkin gives homemade gnocchi a warm color and a soft, gently sweet center. Ricotta keeps the dough tender, while brown butter and sage provide a savory finish. These dumplings are rolled and cut, with an optional gentle pass over a fork for ridges, so a special shaping board is unnecessary. The useful skill is knowing when to stop adding flour. A dough that still feels slightly tacky can make a lighter gnocchi than one worked until completely dry.

Jump to the ingredients

Orange pumpkin gnocchi with brown butter, sage leaves, and Parmesan.

Weigh after draining and reducing

Plain pumpkin puree and ricotta both vary in moisture. The final weights matter more than the starting cup measures: reduce the pumpkin to 180 grams, and weigh 150 grams of ricotta after draining. Extra drained ricotta can be saved for another meal. A kitchen scale makes this repeatable without guessing whether a particular brand is unusually wet. Cool the reduced pumpkin before adding the yolk. The dough should gather into a soft mound rather than flow across the board, but it should not feel elastic like bread dough.

Cook one test dumpling

A small test tells you more than repeated kneading. Drop one piece into gently simmering water and cook it through. If it holds together and feels tender, shape the rest. If it breaks apart, fold in reserved flour one tablespoon, about eight grams, at a time and test again. Use only what is necessary; the full reserve is not an instruction to keep adding flour. Keep the board lightly dusted, and divide a soft rope into shorter sections if it becomes awkward to handle.

Brown the butter after shaping

The dumplings cook quickly, so finish cutting them before starting the sauce. Butter first melts and foams, then its milk solids turn golden. Add sage at that point and lower the heat immediately. A splash of cooking water stops the browning and gives the butter enough body to coat the gnocchi. Do not aim for a hard sear on these delicate dumplings. A gentle fold through the pan is enough, followed by Parmesan at the table.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (245 g) plain canned pumpkin puree, reduced to 180 g as directed
  • About 1 cup (250 g) whole-milk ricotta, to provide 150 g after draining
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, plus up to 1/2 cup (60 g) for adjustment and dusting
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
  • 4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • 1/3 cup (30 g) finely grated Parmesan

Set out

Kitchen scale, Fine-mesh sieve and clean thin kitchen cloth, Wide nonstick skillet, Large mixing bowl, Bench scraper or knife, Large saucepan, Slotted spoon, Instant-read thermometer

Allergens

Wheat, milk, egg. Check ingredient labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Line a sieve with a clean thin cloth over a bowl. Add the ricotta and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Gather the cloth and gently squeeze out excess liquid. Weigh 150 g drained ricotta; refrigerate any extra for another use.
  2. Meanwhile, put the 245 g pumpkin in a wide dry nonstick skillet. Stir over medium-low heat for 6–10 minutes until thick. Scrape into a tared bowl and weigh: continue reducing until 180 g remains. Cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Mix the cooled pumpkin, 150 g drained ricotta, yolk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold in the 240 g flour just until a soft dough forms, without kneading hard.
  4. Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Test-poach one small dough piece until it floats, then for 2 minutes more. If it breaks up, fold in reserved flour 1 tablespoon (about 8 g) at a time and retest.
  5. Lightly dust the board with some reserved flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces, roll into 3/4-inch ropes, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Gently roll over a fork for optional ridges. Keep in one layer on a floured tray.
  6. Melt butter in the clean skillet over medium heat. Swirl until the milk solids turn light amber and smell nutty, about 2–3 minutes. Add sage and reduce to low.
  7. Simmer gnocchi in 3 batches. Once floating, cook for 2 minutes more. Split one to check a cooked center and verify at least 160°F/71°C in a large dumpling. Lift into the butter with a slotted spoon.
  8. Add 2 tablespoons cooking water and fold gently to coat. Divide among 4 plates and scatter with Parmesan.

A useful detail

The total time includes refrigerated draining, pumpkin reduction and cooling, shaping, and test-poaching. Weigh pumpkin and ricotta AFTER preparation. Add reserved flour only as the test dumpling requires; a very wet dough needs further adjustment rather than immediate shaping.

Make it your own

  • Use thick plain mashed roasted butternut squash in place of pumpkin puree, draining it first.
  • Replace sage with 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, adding them only for the final 30 seconds of butter cooking.

Keep it well

Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days; reheat gently to 165°F/74°C. Uncooked shaped gnocchi can be frozen in one layer, then bagged for up to 1 month; simmer from frozen and check a center for doneness.