Pumpkin gnocchi - Gnocchi di zucca

This recipe marks loveSicily's second go at an IMBB virtual get together and the first one at an international level. Hope you enjoy! This is a sicilian gnocchi version of a dumpling and mixing four kinds of cheese along with pumpkin to make the dumplings. Although we haven't done it this time it is very effective to serve the whole thing in the emptied pumpkin at the end - we went for the pumkin themed plate instead :-)

As usual recipes are repeated in Italian at the bottom.

For this recipe you will need the following. Doses depend on preferences so we are not too specific.

Average size yellow pumpkin.
2 eggs
Flour
Cacio Cavallo Ragusano cheese
Gorgonzola cheese
Parmigiano
Cipolla di Giarratana (big white onions)
Butter
Fresh maggiorana
Pistachio di Bronte (or any pistachio nuts you can get)

The pumpkin is cut at the top and emptied of its contents, with the nuts cleared away. From the remainder keep about 200 grams for the sauce.

The rest is placed in the oven and cooked until it becomes soft. Its then rinsed well and mashed with a potato masher. Two beaten eggs are added (for about 1/2 kilo of pumpkin) and 100gr of cacio cavallo ragusano (a parmigiano could work as well) and flour as much as is required to arrive at the right consistency to be able to form the gnocchi. Once ready the gnocchi are formed and for some added nicety you can make them striped as shown.

For the sauce place some butter in a sauce pan and add some finely cut white onion (in our case the locally produced cipolla di Giarratana- a huge white onion which has an almost sweet taste especially when warmed and softened). Then add the pumpkin that was put apart at the start and cook on a low fire. Once cooked (to almost creamy consistency) add some fresh maggiorana leaves and mix (with a hand mixer) to get a really creamy consistency. Then put back in the pan and add the gorgonzola cheese allowing it to melt into the mixture at low fire.

Now, you can cook the gnocchi (remember they are ready as soon as they float to the top) and serve with pistachio, thin slices of parmigiano and maggiorana. You can also serve on the side some fresh ricotta infornata.

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Si prende una zucca gialla di grandezza media. Si svuota con uno scavino, si mettono circa 200 grammi di polpa da parte per la salsa e si mette il resto in forno fino a che sia cotta (consistenza morbida). Si scola ben bene e si schiaccia con uno schiaccia patate. Si aggiungono alla polpa due uova sbattute (per circa 1/2Kilo) 100 gr. di cacio cavallo ragusano grattuggiato e farina quanto basta per poter arrivare ad un composto che puo' essere lavorato facilmente. Aiutandosi con dell'altra farina si formano gli gnocchi e si rigano.

Salsa: si salta in padella con del burro la cipolla di Giarratana tagliata finemente e si aggiungono i 200 gr di polpa di zucca precedentemente messi da parte. Si cuoce a fuoco lento, si aggiungono sale e pepe. Appena cotta, si aggiungo foglioline di maggiorana fresca e si frulla il tutto. Si rimette in padella e si aggiunge (150gr) del gorgonzola che si fa sciogliere a fouco
lento.

Si cuociono gli gnocchi, si mescolano con la salsa e si servono con dei pistacchi di Bronte tostati e sbriciolati e lamelle di parmigiano e foglioline di maggiorana.