Gnocchi di zucca
Northern Italy's pumpkin gnocchi: roasted dense pumpkin with a little flour and egg, spooned into the pot and tossed in browned butter and sage.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 5 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Gnocchi di zucca are made from roasted pumpkin, never boiled, because the pumpkin has to be as dry as possible. Italian cooks use dense, sweet kinds such as Delica or the Mantuan zucca; in Australia a ripe Kent or Jap pumpkin comes close. Roast it in big wedges until soft and collapsing, scrape out the flesh and push it through a ricer or sieve. Mix in Parmigiano, nutmeg, an egg and only as much flour as it takes to hold a soft dough: too much makes them heavy, so cook one test gnocco before shaping the rest. In the Veneto and Lombardy these gnocchi are often shaped with two teaspoons rather than rolled, and dropped straight into the water. Done is soft orange dumplings, sweet and light, in nutty browned butter with crisp sage and Parmigiano.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin, dense, dry pumpkin such as Kent or Jap, in wedges (about 600 g cooked flesh)1 kg
- Wheat flour, plain, roughly; plus more for dusting150 g
- Egg1
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, half for the dough, half to serve80 g
- Nutmeg, freshly grated1 pinch
- Butter80 g
- Sage12 leaf
- Salt, for the water and dough15 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 200°C. Roast the pumpkin wedges skin-on for about 45 minutes, until very soft and a little dry on the surface. Scrape out the flesh, push it through a ricer or sieve and let it cool and steam dry.
50 min
Step 2
Mix the pumpkin with the egg, half the Parmigiano, nutmeg and a pinch of salt, then add flour a little at a time until you have a soft dough that holds its shape on a spoon. Drop a test spoonful into boiling salted water; if it falls apart, add a little more flour.
10 min
Step 3
Using two wet teaspoons, shape small dumplings and drop them into gently boiling salted water. Cook until they float, plus a minute, and lift them out with a slotted spoon.
10 min
Step 4
Meanwhile melt the butter with the sage until golden-brown and nutty. Toss the gnocchi in it, plate and finish with the rest of the Parmigiano.
5 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 452 kcal
- Protein
- 15.7 g
- Carbs
- 47.2 g
- Fat
- 24.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 14.5 g
- Fibre
- 2.3 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1781 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetarian
Vegetarian only with a vegetarian Parmigiano Reggiano: the traditional cheese is made with animal rennet.
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Kent or Jap pumpkin → Butternut squash
Wetter; roast it longer and expect to use more flour.
Tips
- The drier the pumpkin, the less flour you need and the lighter the gnocchi.
- Cook them in batches so the water keeps boiling.
History & culture
They are autumn and winter food across the Veneto, Friuli and Lombardy, where pumpkins are stored through the cold months. Mantua is proud of its zucca and puts it in tortelli too. In Friuli and the Veneto, the butter is often finished with grated smoked ricotta instead of Parmigiano.
Pumpkins came from the Americas in the sixteenth century and settled quickly into the farm kitchens of the Po valley, cheap and long-keeping. Gnocchi made from them stretched scarce flour, as potato gnocchi did later. Pumpkin dishes appear on the banquet menus of Renaissance courts in the north, and Mantua still treats the zucca as its own.
Traditional — Roasted pumpkin, flour, egg, Parmigiano and nutmeg, dressed with butter and sage.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Gnocchi di zucca take?
1 hr 25 min all in — 20 min prep, 1 hr 5 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Baking tray, Oven, Mixing bowl, Saucepan, Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tbsp (for the water and dough).
What can I use instead?
Kent or Jap pumpkin → Butternut squash. Wetter; roast it longer and expect to use more flour.
Any tips from this recipe?
The drier the pumpkin, the less flour you need and the lighter the gnocchi. Cook them in batches so the water keeps boiling.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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