Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Pepper Bacon
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.Over a year since I started the endeavor to perfect my recipe for homemade gnocchi, I’m finally releasing this bad boy! I knew homemade gnocchi was hard, but I didn’t realize when I first set out to develop this recipe just how many small adjustments would make such big differences in the final product. Gnocchi is a tricky business, and so many things can affect the final product. That being said, after many attempts and much research, I’m proud of what I’ve learned and am so excited to finally share this delicious recipe and tips for success with you! These gnocchis are tender and fluffy inside, nicely crisped on the surface, smothered in creamy savory pumpkin parmesan sauce, and finished off with crispy, salty pepper bacon. Makes my mouth water just typing it up!
Recipe Notes
Potato Type: The first few times I tried out this recipe, I gravitated toward Yukon golds because they’re my go-to for roasted, mashed, soup, you name it - they’re tender, tasty, and hold their shape well. BUT, that being said, I learned that despite their versatility, they aren’t the best choice for gnocchi. Russets are where it’s at, and that has to do with their moisture content and texture. Russets are fluffy and dry - exactly what you want for gnocchi. The drier the potatoes to start with, the less flour you have to add, leading to a fluffier final product.
Potato Cooking Method: While it may seem natural to boil the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher, as if you were just making some nice mashed potatoes, that’s not the case with gnocchi. Boiling the potatoes will add too much moisture, leading to needing to add too much flour to the mixture to get it to hold together. This will cause a dense, gluey texture rather than the fluffy texture you’re striving for. So, the easiest and least time-consuming option I’ve found is to cook the potatoes in the microwave to achieve the texture of a baked potato without having to wait for them to bake in the oven.
Potato Mashing: When making gnocchi, you want your potatoes to be as dry, light, and fluffy as possible. The best way that I’ve found to do this is with a potato ricer. I invested in one specifically for the development of this recipe, and I can tell you that it’s made a huge change in the quality of my mashed potatoes in general (YUM). That being said, I realize that they’re a bit expensive and a household tool not everyone has the space for. So, a substitute I’ve found that can also work is to push the potato through a colander with the back of a spoon. It will take longer than ricing it, but you really want that smooth, fluffy texture with no lumps.
Gnocchi Cooking Method: The method for cooking that I’ve settled on for my ideal gnocchi is to saute, and to forego boiling. You can, if you prefer a soft gnocchi with no crispy exterior, only boil as you would a fresh pasta (for a few minutes until floating on the surface), but if you saute, you do not have to boil first. I tried it this way for most of my development, only to end up with mushy gnocchi that falls apart as soon as you go to toss it with the sauce.
Eggs: You’ll see many different opinions on whether you should use whole eggs, egg yolks, or no eggs in your gnocchi if you do your own research. After trying all three, my findings are as follows - whole eggs provided me with a tougher, chewier gnocchi. No eggs made the dough hard to hold together and the gnocchi continually fell apart when I tried to cook it. So, in my opinion, your best bet is egg yolks. Some people feel that the stronger flavor of yolks can cover the flavor of the potato, but I personally enjoy the richness from them, and feel that they offer the perfect texture to bind the dough without making it gluey.
Sauce: These delectable gnocchis will be delicious in any sauce, but this creamy pumpkin sauce is just a personal favorite of mine for the cold months. It’s satisfying, creamy, and savory. If you follow the recipe as stated, the sauce may seem like a bit too much for the amount of gnocchi, but once you serve it up, the gnocchi will soak up the sauce a bit and the sauce will thicken slightly as it cools on the plate, and I think it ends up being only a slightly generous amount (and who doesn’t like generous amounts of delicious sauce?).
Bacon: I use a thick-cut pepper bacon for this recipe because I feel that the black pepper adds a nice kick to the creaminess of the sauce and the potato, and the crunch from the bacon’s thickness is a welcome addition to the otherwise mostly soft-textured dish. That being said, any bacon will certainly be delicious. I find oven-baking my bacon to be the easiest way to get it evenly crispy (plus I don’t need to keep a constant eye on it), but if you prefer a different method, feel free. Pre-chopping the bacon up when it’s raw and cooking it in a pan is another pretty fuss-free method that I’d recommend.
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
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Step 1:
Cook Potatoes
Scrub 2 medium russet potatoes well and stab all over with a fork. Plate them on a microwave safe plate and rub all over with a drizzle of olive oil.
Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Let the potatoes cool in the microwave for 3 minutes. Turn them over and microwave on high for another 4 minutes.
Spear the potatoes with a fork - if they spear easily and are soft through to the middle, remove from microwave. If still stiff in the center, continue microwaving in two minute intervals, flipping them over before each interval for even cooking, until soft throughout.
Once fully cooked, refrigerate the plate of potatoes until cool enough to be handled, at least 30 minutes. While cooling, move on to next step.
Step 2:
Cook Pepper Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
Place 3 slices thick- cut pepper bacon on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until crispy.
Place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Feel free to move on to next steps while bacon is baking and draining.
Step 3:
Peel Potatoes
Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from fridge and use your hands or a spoon to remove the peels.
Step 4:
Rice Potatoes
Once peeled, chop potatoes into large chunks and put through a ricer to achieve a fluffy texture. If you don’t have a ricer, you can push the potato through a colander with the back of a spoon, but this will take a bit more time. It’s worth it for the texture of the final product, though!
If there are any especially hard or stringy bits in the potato that won’t go through the ricer, discard them.
Step 5:
Make Dough
Measure out two cups of the fully riced potato and place into a large bowl. Set leftover mashed potato aside for another meal.
To the riced potato, add 2 egg yolks, ¾ cup flour, and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix until just combined. Use your hands to form into a dough. Be careful not to overwork it - just smash it together enough to hold into a ball.
Step 6:
Cut Dough
Place dough on a very lightly floured surface and cut into four pieces.
Roll each piece into a rope about ¾ inch thick.
Cut each rope into ¾ inch long pieces that resemble pillows. Leave them on the cutting surface while you move on to making the sauce.
Step 7:
Make Sauce
In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons salted butter over medium heat.
Once butter is melted, add 1 tablespoon flour and whisk well.
Whisking every few seconds, cook until lightly browned and smelling nutty, 3-5 minutes.
Slowly add 1 ⅓ cups milk while whisking.
Turn heat to medium high and whisk constantly until slightly thickened and bubbling gently.
Remove from heat and whisk in ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan, ¾ teaspoon salt, ⅓ teaspoon black pepper, a dash of paprika, ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, and 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree until cheese has fully melted.
Step 8:
Cook Gnocchi
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt two tablespoons butter in the pan.
Once melted, gently add the gnocchi a few at a time until they’re all in the pan.
Tossing every minute or so, cook gnocchi until golden brown and lightly crisped on the outside, about 7 minutes or so depending on your pan and stove.
Step 9:
Finish and Serve
Toss the gnocchi in the sauce.
Chop the drained crispy bacon into bite sized pieces.
Split gnocchi onto 2-3 plates, and top with the chopped bacon and some freshly chopped rosemary to garnish. Enjoy!
Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Pepper Bacon
Servings: 2-3 Time: 1 hour 30 mins - 2 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Ingredients
For Gnocchi:
2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 ½ lbs)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 TBS. butter for sauteing
For Topping:
3 slices thick-cut pepper bacon
Fresh rosemary for garnish
For Sauce:
2 TBS. salted butter
1 TBS. all-purpose flour
1 ⅓ cups whole milk
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¾ tsp. salt
⅓ tsp. black pepper
Dash of paprika
⅓ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. fresh finely chopped rosemary
3 TBS. pumpkin puree
Directions
Step 1: Cook Potatoes
Scrub potatoes well and stab all over with a fork. Plate them on a microwave safe plate and rub all over with a drizzle of olive oil. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Let the potatoes cool in the microwave for 3 minutes. Turn them over and microwave on high for another 4 minutes. Spear the potatoes with a fork - if they spear easily and are soft through to the middle, remove from microwave. If still stiff in the center, continue microwaving in two minute intervals, flipping them over before each interval for even cooking, until soft throughout. Once fully cooked, refrigerate the plate of potatoes until cool enough to be handled, at least 30 minutes. While cooling, move on to next step.
Step 2: Cook Pepper Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Place bacon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until crispy. Place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Feel free to move on to next steps while bacon is baking and draining.
Step 3: Peel Potatoes
Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from fridge and use your hands or a spoon to remove the peels.
Step 4: Rice Potatoes
Once peeled, chop potatoes into large chunks and put through a ricer to achieve a fluffy texture. If you don’t have a ricer, you can push the potato through a colander with the back of a spoon, but this will take a bit more time. It’s worth it for the texture of the final product, though! If there are any especially hard or stringy bits in the potato that won’t go through the ricer, discard them.
Step 5: Make Dough
Measure out two cups of the fully riced potato and place into a large bowl. Set leftover mashed potato aside for another meal. To the riced potato, add the egg yolks, flour, and salt and mix until just combined. Use your hands to form into a dough. Be careful not to overwork it - just smash it together enough to hold into a ball.
Step 6: Cut Dough
Place dough on a very lightly floured surface and cut into four pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about ¾ inch thick. Cut each rope into ¾ inch long pieces that resemble pillows. Leave them on the cutting surface while you move on to making the sauce.
Step 7: Make Sauce
In a small saucepan, melt salted butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the flour and whisk well. Whisking every few seconds, cook until lightly browned and smelling nutty, 3-5 minutes. Slowly add milk while whisking. Turn heat to medium high and whisk constantly until slightly thickened and bubbling gently. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until cheese has fully melted.
Step 8: Cook Gnocchi
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt two TBS. butter in the pan. Once melted, gently add the gnocchi a few at a time until they’re all in the pan. Tossing every minute or so, cook gnocchi until golden brown and lightly crisped on the outside, about 7 minutes or so depending on your pan and stove.
Step 9: Finish and Serve
Toss the gnocchi in the sauce. Chop the drained crispy bacon into bite sized pieces. Split gnocchi onto 2-3 plates, and top with the chopped bacon and some freshly chopped rosemary to garnish. Enjoy!