Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375¡ F/ 190¡ C.
Clean a pumpkin and remove the seeds. Cut it into large cubes. Bake the pumpkin on an oiled baking sheet until it is tender, about 30-45 minutes. When cool, discard the peel and pass the pumpkin through a sieve, ricer, or a use a food processor with a grater disk. Do not purée the pumpkin; it will be too smooth. Measure the amount of pumpkin needed.
Place the pumpkin in a bowl along with the nutmeg, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and eggs. Mix well. Stir in the flour and mix until it is smooth and pliable and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if necessary.
Bring 4 quarts/ L of lightly-salted water to a boil. TURN the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape it into a loaf. Pinch off sections of dough and shape it into a thick cord between your fingers. Cut each cord into 1/2 inch/ 1 1/4 cm thick pieces. Press each gnocchi with a garganelli maker or fork to give it traditional markings. Scatter the gnocchi on the floured surface.
Gently drop the gnocchi into the boiling water in batches of 20-25. When they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon onto a serving plate. Occasionally, gently stir the water.
Prepare the sauce:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. PEEL the garlic clove and sauté it, over low heat, for a few minutes.
Be careful not to let the butter burn. Discard the garlic clove and pour the butter over the gnocchi. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes: Pumpkin is especially popular in Lombardy where they not only use it for gnocchi, but also for risottos and soups.
Wines:
White Chianti
Galestro
Ingredients:
Baked, grated pumpkin 1 cup/
Ground nutmeg pinch
Sugar pinch
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Eggs 2
White unbleached flour 1 1/2 cups/
Garlic clove 1
Butter 3 tbs
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Tools:
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Baking sheet
Fork
Sieve
Food processor (optional)
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Pasta pot
Slotted spoon
Sauté pan
Garganelli maker or fork
