This delicious melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi is seared in a pan with butter, sage, and mushrooms, all on top of roasted pumpkin and garlic purée. This vegetarian recipe has under 10 ingredients and it’s ready in 30 minutes!
Vegetarian
Step by step instructions
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Next, prepare your lined baking tray. I love using my Reusable Baking Paper. It looks and feels just like parchment paper, and it’s dishwasher-safe! [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
How to roast the pumpkin
Step 2. Begin carefully slicing the pumpkin in half and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Either discard the seeds or set aside if you plan on roasting them. Lightly drizzle the insides with olive oil and place the pumpkin halves face down on the tray.
Note: This is for a small size pumpkin, about the same size as a butternut squash in weight— increase or decrease the time depending on the size of the pumpkin. A pumpkin this size is enough for 4 servings.
How to roast the garlic
Step 3. The garlic can be roasted on the same tray as the pumpkin. Carefully slice the top of the garlic head off, exposing the bare cloves. Then, peel away any loose outer layers, making sure the cloves stay intact. Drizzle with olive oil and add to the baking tray (cut-side face-up).
Step 4. Cook for 20 minutes or until fork tender (or pierce with a knife to determine if the pumpkin is ready). When it’s done, peel the skin off the pumpkin— be careful, it’s hot! Then, squeeze or scoop the garlic cloves out with a butter knife. They should be soft and caramelised.
You can roast the garlic ahead of time, too. I love storing roasted garlic cloves in a jar in the fridge. Here’s a really simple recipe on how to do so— Roasted Rosemary Garlic.
Step 5. Place the flesh of the pumpkin and garlic into a blender or food processor. Add a squeeze of lemon and blend until smooth. Do a quick taste test and add salt and pepper if needed. Keep the lid on to keep it warm until it’s served. Set aside until everything is ready to be plated.
Step 6. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the gnocchi for just a few minutes, or until they float to the top. Drain and set aside in the strainer.
How to pan sear the gnocchi
Step 7. Once the gnocchi is boiled, heat up a non-stick pan with a knob of butter. I prefer to use real grass-fed butter for taste and health benefits— Kerrygold being my absolute favourite! Once the butter has started to foam, turn the heat down to a medium-heat. Then, add in the mushrooms and stir for a few minutes. Next, add in the gnocchi and stir for another few minutes. This will create a crispy seal on the gnocchi, which you will begin to see as it lightly browns.
Note: A non-stick pan is ideal because the cooked gnocchi is delicate and can easily fall apart if it gets stuck to the pan— we wouldn’t want that!
Step 8. Add in the roughly chopped sage. The sage crisps up quite quickly in the buttered pan, so keep an eye on it and turn the heat off when it’s crispy.
How to plate the pumpkin purée topped with gnocchi
Step 9. Scoop out the puréed pumpkin and garlic onto plates— give it a good swirl with the back of a spoon. Then, top it with the gnocchi, mushrooms, and sage straight from the pan. Add fresh cracked black pepper and salt, to taste. Enjoy!
More Autumn Recipes
For similar recipes, try my sweet potato, orange, and ginger soup or roasted tomato and butternut squash pasta sauce!
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment below!
Pan Seared Gnocchi with Roasted Pumpkin Purée
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 small pumpkin about the same size as a butternut squash
- 1 head of garlic
- 180 g mushrooms, chopped or 2 ⅔ cup
- 2-3 tbsp butter salted
- 10-15 sage leaves
- 640 g gnocchi or 4 cups
- 1 lemon, squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Slice the small pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and place face down onto a lined baking tray.
- Slice the garlic head and peel off any thin outer layers, making sure the cloves are still intact. Place face-up onto the same baking sheet as the pumpkin and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
- With 10 minutes to go in the oven, begin boiling the water for the gnocchi.
- Carefully peel the skin off the pumpkin and discard. Add the flesh of the pumpkin to the blender, along with the squeezed lemon. Squeeze or scoop out the garlic cloves and add to the blender. Discard the garlic skin. Blend until smooth and keep the lid on to keep it warm. Do a quick taste test and add salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
- Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and boil until they float to the top (only a few minutes). Then, drain and set aside in a strainer.
- Add the butter to a non-stick pan and turn on medium-heat. Once the butter starts to foam, add in the mushrooms and stir for a few minutes. Next, add in the cooked gnocchi and stir for a few more minutes. This will create a crispy seal on the gnocchi, which you will begin to see as it lightly browns. Then, add in the fresh sage and continue to stir for a few more minutes or until the sage crisps up. Turn off the heat.
- Lastly, scoop the pumpkin purée into bowls and use the back of a spoon to swirl across the bottom. Then, add in the gnocchi, mushrooms, and sage straight from the pan onto the purée. Top with cracked black pepper and salt, to taste. Enjoy!
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