Ingredients:
One 3-lb.pumpkin
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 1/2 sticks butter
12 sage leaves
Directions:
To make the gnocchi:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the pumpkin in half, and remove the seeds. Place the halves, cut side up on a large baking sheet, and drizzle each half with a tablespoon of oil. Place in the oven and roast until a knife easily cuts through the flesh of the pumpkin, about 45 mins. to an hour. Let the pumpkin cool. When cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh from the skin into the bowl of a food processor. Puree the pumpkin into a thick paste and place 1 1/2 cups of the puree into a saucepan along with the salt and nutmeg.
Cook the puree over medium heat until most of the water in the puree has evaporated and the pumpkin appears dry. Gradually add a cup of the flour, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture forms a ball (5 to 10 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork until scrambled, and add it into the pumpkin mixture, along with 1 ¾ cups of the grated cheese. Mix to combine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it a few times and form into a ball. Cover the dough with a bowl and allow to rest for about 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, knead it, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough feels smooth and not too sticky. Form a ball and cut the dough into 4 oz. pieces. Keeping the remaining dough covered under the bowl, roll one piece into a ¼ to ½ inch-thick rope, dusting the board with additional flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Cut the rope into 1-inch-long pieces, using a knife dipped in flour. Dust a baking sheet with a small amount of flour, and gently place the cut gnocchi on the sheet in a single layer. Set aside until ready to cook. Alternately, the gnocchi can be refrigerated (covered) for up to a day, or frozen on the sheet. If freezing, after the gnocchi have hardened, (about 2 hours) they should be loosened from the tray using a metal spatula and placed in a Ziploc bag. They can then be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To prepare the sauce:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sage and cook for 2 minutes until the butter starts to brown. Set aside.
To assemble the dish:
Place a 4 qt. pot of water on the stove. Salt the water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the water has come to a boil, add ¼ of the gnocchi and cook until tender (2 -3 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked gnocchi from the pot, and place into the skillet with the sauce. Repeat until the remaining gnocchi are cooked. When finished, quickly sauté the gnocchi and sauce for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat, tossing to coat the gnocchi with the sauce. Remove from the heat, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and serve.
