Three gnocchi dishes that are perfect for autumn

Whether it’s the cold mornings, grey skies, or the fact that the sun sets before dinnertime, autumn has a habit of feeling a little bit drab. Meaning, as the seasons change, there are few things more comforting than a warm hearty home-cooked meal.

With the pillowy, soft texture of potato dumplings and lashings of flavourful sauce, gnocchi dishes are prime comfort food. They can cosy up any cold night — just throw in some fresh seasonal veggies and you’re in for the perfect autumnal treat. Here are three of our favourite gnocchi recipes that are perfect for this time of year.

1. Veggie pesto gnocchi

Fluffy gnocchi smothered in a tangy pesto sauce will fill any empty stomach and keep them coming back for more. After all, this is the ideal pairing for the little doughy dumplings — as the gnocchi experts at Pasta Evangelists explain, a light pesto sauce “has the perfect consistency to accompany gnocchi’s delicate texture”. For variety, we’ll add in some courgettes and frozen peas too. Here’s how to make veggie pesto gnocchi.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 250g gnocchi
• 125g frozen peas
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 50ml sour cream
• 2 courgettes, thinly sliced widthways
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ lemon, zested & juiced
• 1 tbsp basil pesto
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan (optional)
• Basil leaves (optional)

Method

1. Heat a splash of oil in a pan on medium heat and add the courgettes, garlic and a shake of salt and pepper. Cook until the courgettes start to soften, then set aside.
2. Add gnocchi to a pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes until the gnocchi is just tender, then drain.
3. Return the gnocchi to the pan with a small amount of oil, and cook on a low/medium heat until the shells start to brown. Combine with the vegetable stock and frozen peas and cook for a further three to four minutes, until the peas are cooked through.
4. Add the courgettes and garlic back to the pan and allow the liquid to reduce for two to three minutes. Once reduced, add sour cream, pesto and lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat, then serve fresh topped with optional parmesan and basil leaves.

2. Creamy pumpkin gnocchi

It wouldn’t be an autumn recipe collection without mention of the trusty pumpkin. Step into any supermarket this time of year and you’ll find them in droves (and selling for pennies come November time). You can actually incorporate pumpkin into the gnocchi dumplings themselves if you were looking to make your own, but instead, we’ll be blending with mascarpone cheese for the sauce. This way, you can cut down your prepping time and leave more space for other seasonal activities. Apple bobbing, anyone?

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cubed
• 500g gnocchi
• 50g mascarpone cheese
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp pine nuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with paper. Toss the pumpkin and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay evenly on the tray and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add the gnocchi to a pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes until the gnocchi is just tender, then drain.
3. Separately, add your pine nuts to a small skillet and dry toast them on medium-low heat until golden and fragrant, then set aside. Stir while toasting to prevent burning.
4. Once your pumpkin is cooked, blend with the vegetable stock and mascarpone until smooth.
5. Cook the mixture on medium-low heat for four to five minutes, and combine with the gnocchi. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. When ready to serve, top with the toasted pine nuts.

3. Brown butter and squash gnocchi

As the not-too-distant cousin of the classic pumpkin, butternut squash offers that same distinctive, nutty flavour. However, instead of blending it down into a sauce, we’ll be enjoying its soft roasted texture alongside our gnocchi in brown butter and sage. Throw in some kale leaves for a satisfying crunch and a host of health benefits, and you’re onto a winner. Well, we think so anyway — here’s what to do.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500g gnocchi
• 150g unsalted butter
• 40g kale leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 butternut squash (approx. 500g)
• 15-20 sage leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with paper. Cut the squash in half lengthways and deseed. Dice the squash into 2-3cm pieces, and spread evenly over the baking tray.
2. Drizzle pieces of squash with olive oil and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
3. Roast for 20-30 minutes until tender.
4. Meanwhile, add gnocchi to a pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes until the gnocchi is just tender, then drain.
5. Next, warm the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When almost completely melted, add the sage leaves and garlic and cook for two to three minutes until the leaves are crispy to the touch. At this point, the butter should have a golden-brown colour.
6. Toss the gnocchi in the brown butter sauce and cook for two to three minutes, until the shells are slightly toasted.
7. Combine with the kale leaves and roasted butternut squash.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and grate over some optional parmesan cheese.