Here at Artisans & Adventurers, we love all things Autumn. From the changing leaves to the crisp chill in the air, there is something magical about the season. One not-so-magical fact, however, is the sheer volume of wasted pumpkins post Halloween. More than half of the 24 million pumpkins carved for Halloween in Britain this year will not be eaten. In fact, one in seven people who celebrate Halloween do not think of pumpkins as food.
The poll of 3,000 adults in the UK carried out by the food charity Hubbub shows that of the 24 million pumpkins bought, 12.76 million will be carved but the flesh not eaten. This will only add to the UK's huge mountain of avoidable food waste which is already at a staggering 6.6 million tonnes every year. The research also suggests that 2 million discarded pumpkins will end up in the general household bin when they could be put in the food waste bin, composted or put out for the birds and wildlife.
That is why this year we want to encourage everyone that has carved a pumpkin not to waste it, instead try this delicious, simple recipe for pumpkin gnocchi by Nagi that is a favourite of ours every year. This vegetarian recipe can be adapted to suit a vegan diet too, just look out for our swaps below.
Ingredients:
For the gnocchi dough
- 300g fresh pumpkin steamed or boiled then mashed
- 1/2 cup ricotta (or substitute for vegan creme fraiche - we recommend Oatly)
- 185g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (or substitute for vegan hard cheese, we recommend Violife's Prosociano wedge)
- 1 egg (or substitute for a 'flax egg' - mix 1 tablespoon of flax or chia seeds with 2.5 tablespoon of water and leave to sit for a few minutes)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
For the sage butter sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 50g / 4 tbsp butter ( or use vegan spread, we recommend Natruli)
- 20 fresh sage leaves
To serve
- Black pepper and salt if needed
- Parmesan (or substitute with the vegan parmesan you used previously)
Method:
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Line a colander with sheets of paper towel. Spread the fresh mashed pumpkin onto the paper towel then leave for 5 minutes to drain excess water.
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Measure out 1/2 cup of the pumpkin.
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Place pumpkin and remaining gnocchi ingredients in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix well - it should be a soft dough.
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Dust a work surface with flour, tip dough out, sprinkle with flour then pat into log shape.
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Cut into 6 pieces. Roll into thin (2cm) logs, then cut into squares.
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Optional: Use a fork to press down lightly on the cut side of the gnocchi.
To cook:
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Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
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Scrape gnocchi onto parchment paper, then tip into water. Cook for 1 minute or until all the gnocchi rises to the surface, then drain.
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Meanwhile, melt about 1 teaspoon of the butter plus oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi and cook, shaking the pan, until the gnocchi is just starting to turn brown (about 1 1/2 minutes).
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Add remaining butter, once it melts, add sage leaves. Stir and cook for 2 1/2 minutes or until gnocchi is golden, sage is crisp and butter is slightly browned. Add salt if you used unsalted butter.
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Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan and pepper.
This recipe is perfect to batch cook and freeze, cooking from frozen in about 1 1/2 minutes. We think this makes it ideal for dinner parties as you won't have to spend all evening in the kitchen! For other simple, delicious recipes you can read our journal post on Kenyan maharagwe here or our vegan friendly custard cream recipe here.
Header image by Nagi via RecipeTinEats