Homemade Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi

This is technically the easiest homemade pasta in my opinion.

Making gnocchi is a wonderful and pretty easy process. You'll need to get a hang of how much flour to add so they hold their shape but are soft and not tough.

And, as if pumpkin gnocchi from scratch wasn't good enough, I went ahead and drowned them in brown butter flavored with blue cheese. So they got a little saltier and flavorful in the best possible way.

I took a fantastic plate of pillowy gnocchi to the next level. I know I'm self-congratulation, but this plate of pasta deserves it.  

Not a fan of blue cheese? No problem! Add some thyme or sage leaves to the brown butter, or just a sprinkle of parmesan cheese with a splash of cream and a drizzle of olive oil.

Use simple sauces that pair with the pumpkin flavor. Tomato sauces like marinara are not the best for this dish.

Ingredient list

• Ricotta: is an Italian soft cheese with a mild flavor. It gives this gnocchi moisture and texture. The soft type is needed for this recipe, which is easily available in supermarkets. You can also buy ricotta online.
• Pumpkin or butternut squash: I use homemade pumpkin purée but pure canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) works fine too.
• Egg yolks: they bind the mixture and add creaminess.
• Cheeses: I'm very partial to good parmesan cheese, but asiago works well too. And blue cheese if you're making the sauce.
• All-purpose flour.
• Brown butter: it's very easy to make it, and we have a post with detailed video instructions on how to make brown butter. The flavor is magical and perfect for these gnocchi.

How to make pumpkin ricotta gnocchi

Making gnocchi is, in my opinion, the best way to start making homemade pasta.

Though it's not the pasta we think of when we think of eating homemade noodles, it is a great way to practice with dough consistencies, moisture, etc.

First step

• Mixing - I use a large wooden bowl but any other works. Make sure it's large enough to accommodate all the ingredients. Also, I use a wooden spoon, but if you're more comfortable with a spatula, use it. I find that a wooden spoon mixes everything better.

Second step

Add cheese, flavorings and flour

Grated cheese - beware of Microplane graters that are too small-holed as the cheese tends to clump and doesn't distribute well. I like to use medium-sized graters.

Mix it by hand

We want to incorporate the ingredients well but not beat them; that would add too much air to the dough and it's not what we're after.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula until you have a nice, well-integrated pumpkin ricotta mixture.

Adding flour

So, we have our homemade gnocchi dough ready. Now comes the tricky part, and what is, in my opinion, the crucial step for making light and airy gnocchi vs. tough, average gnocchi:

It all comes down to how much flour you add to it.

Doughs, in general, behave differently depending on many factors.

Temperature and moisture play a big role, and that includes both the temperature of your kitchen or room where the gnocchi are being made, the amount of moisture in the ingredients (ricotta and pumpkin puree can vary a lot depending on the brand or how you drain it) and the temperature of your hands.

So, how much flour is enough?

The dough should feel soft and you should be able to roll it into a thin rope with your hands. But, it should not be as firm as, for example, a pie crust dough or bread dough. That would mean you added too much flour.

It should not be sticky either, but you should only add enough flour to roll it and be able to cut small pieces.

Adding flour until we get the right texture is the key to great gnocchi.

That's why I will forever say that practice is everything regarding pasta, doughs, and bread.

Practice, practice, practice! Become a master at knowing how the gnocchi dough should feel and not only be guided by the amount of flour in the recipe.

Make a test boil first

This is the best way to see if your gnocchi holds or not.

1. Make the initial mixture according to the recipe.
2. Have ready a pot of softly boiling salted water.
3. Take a small amount, maybe ¼ cup, and roll it on a floured counter until you have a rope.
4. Cut the gnocchi and add it to the softly boiling water. Let them rise to the surface, take them out with a skimmer or hand colander and try them.
5. You will know instantly. They will either rise with their original shape, or they will disintegrate and you will have more of a boiled puree than gnocchi.
6. I recommend putting them in the freezer for 5 minutes before boiling them. They tend to keep their shape better.
7. If done right, you'll bite into pale orange pumpkin with ricotta so smooth they will make you a convert, in case you had any doubt about making homemade gnocchi, which is only a matter of practice and lightness of fingers.

How to freeze gnocchi

One of the best parts of making homemade gnocchi is that you can spend a few hours once in a while, make a large quantity and then freeze it. That way you have made-to-order fresh pumpkin ricotta gnocchi every time you crave it!

1. Roll the dough and cut it in small pieces.
2. Put them in a lightly floured baking sheet (image above) separated from each other.
3. Freeze directly in the sheet. When they are completely frozen and rock-solid transfer the gnocchi to a plastic bag or container and keep frozen.
4. When ready to cook, boil them directly from the freezer.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: making gnocchi is easy if you organize yourself, much like making marshmallows. There's no need to panic if you've read the recipe and have enough table space to work on.
• Moisture: ingredients vary a lot in moisture content and that is the main reason for failure. Not enough flour and you have pumpkin ricotta puree, the balls melding into one big mess; too much flour and they keep their shape wonderfully but you run the risk of cracking a tooth – an exaggeration I know, but then you should’ve seen my first attempt at potato gnocchi.
• Texture: so it's all about knowing what the right texture is, which in this recipe's case, is about being able to make a rope but not lift it up easily from the table. That way you'll get gorgeous gnocchi that freezes perfectly well; so spend some time making a big batch and then freeze them for later times. Talk about a great quick dinner.
• Butter sauce: pumpkin and pasta are commonly paired with butter and herbs, especially sage. The idea is not to overpower the soft flavor of the pasta. So the amount of blue cheese is given by how strong it is.
• Ridges: I don't roll them down the fork to make the characteristic ridges, because they are extremely tender, and I'd have to make a much firmer dough (read: add more flour) in order to be able to make the indentations.