Pumpkin Gnocchi with Discard
Behold the easiest, most delicious pasta-adjacent dish: gnocchi. As you’re probably aware, gnocchi are a bit like Italian dumplings. They can have as much or as little shape as you want and a wide variety of flavors and fillings. Here I’ve created a very ~Fall~ version using sourdough discard and pumpkin purée. Finish them off with sage brown butter and top with parmesan for a truly delightful meal. You can also freeze half and save for later - just throw the frozen gnocchi right into a pot of salted boiling water!
Makes 4 servings — Ingredients:
Roughly 1 cup room temp sourdough discard*
350g canned pumpkin purée (slightly less than one 15oz can)
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper + 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup finely grated or microplaned Parmesan
1 egg
3-4 cups AP flour (plus more for dusting)
For the sage brown butter:
1 stick of butter
16 fresh sage leaves
*I use a 100% hydration starter, which means it is fed the same amount of water and flour by weight.
Process:
Combine the sourdough discard, pumpkin purée, pepper, salt, parm, and egg. Mix using a spatula or a stand mixer + paddle attachment until roughly combined. Then start adding flour. For me, this took about 3.5 cups of AP flour until the dough really came together and was no longer sticky.
Recipe continues below. See bolded note above about when to use a stand mixer for this recipe.
2. On a wooden cutting board gently flatten the dough and cut it into logs. Roll each one out a bit (using more flour as needed) and then use a knife or bench scraper to cut into individual pieces (see above).
3. Use a fork to roll each piece and create texture (optional!). Arrange all the pieces on parchment lined baking sheets (see below).
At this point you can freeze some and just cook the amount you want (these are best fresh). I made ~110 gnocchi which was about 4 servings, and froze half. Freeze them directly on the baking sheet and then transfer to a zip lock bag once they’ve frozen.
4. Boil a pot of salted water. While you wait for the water to boil, melt butter in a pan with the sage leaves. Swirl the butter and leaves on medium-high heat until the butter begins to brown and smells nutty. Turn the heat down to very low or turn it off until the gnocchi are ready to toss.
5. When the water has boiled, gently add the gnocchi and immediately stir to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat to medium-low and wait for the gnocchi to float to the top (that’s when they’re done). If you just made them, this should only take a minute or two. If they were frozen, it will take a bit longer.
6. Strain the gnocchi once they’ve all floated to the top. Add them to the butter/sage mixture and turn the burner on high for 2 min or so, tossing the gnocchi so they are well-coated and begin to crisp up.
7. Plate the gnocchi, top with parm + crispy sage leaves, and enjoy!
If you make these, I’d love to see! Tag @nokneadtoworry on Instagram.
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