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This Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce is layered with flavor and deeply comforting. With pancetta and fresh thyme, it's a winter dish that will delight your senses and warm you from the inside.
One of my favorite things about working from home is that I can be covered in a blanket all day long if I want to. There's something so cozy and comforting about wrapping yourself in a cocoon of warmth while the wind and rain rage outside your window. The only thing better is to have a steaming mug beside you or a warm bowl in your hands.
For much of the natural world, keeping warm and conserving energy is the primary function of living creatures in winter. So it's no wonder that we also crave warmth in the dark half of the year. Heavier foods that keep your belly full for longer are exactly what's needed. Does anyone know how many calories you burn from shivering? You have to keep up your strength.
What makes Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce so awesome?
This Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce is the perfect winter food. It uses canned pumpkin to keep your life simple, and while there is a hint of sweetness, this is definitely a very savoury recipe. Of course, anything that starts by crisping up bacon or pancetta is always going to be awesome, but we're also working with cream cheese and chicken stock to layer in creaminess and deep flavor. Add in sage and thyme, and it's absolutely irresistible.
I think this dish is simple and hearty enough for a weeknight dinner but also elegant and unique enough for a cozy dinner party with a few friends. A glass of wine and a loaf of garlic herb bread is all you really need. Gnocchi is so filling that I can barely eat anything else, and this is so irresistible you don't want anything else getting in the way. I can also confirm that this is great as leftovers. Add a splash of milk to thin out the sauce if it's too thick upon reheating.
Magical Properties of Thyme
Thyme is one of my favorite culinary herbs, but it's also beautiful for your spellwork. This herb helps you find your courage and strength and walk the warrior path. It's also useful in spells for healing, purification, love and attraction. Add thyme to spells for protection from nightmares or for remembrance of the dead. Thyme is ruled by Venus, the element of water, and the zodiac sign Aries. It's also sacred to Ares and Mars as well as fairies. (Source: The Hearth Witch's Compendium by Anna Franklin)
To learn more about the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this dish. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- Pancetta - or bacon
- Onion - or shallot
- Garlic - fresh or paste
- Butter
- Cream - heavy or double cream is best
- Pumpkin puree - I use canned pumpkin puree, but you can roast and puree your own pumpkin if you really want to
- Chicken stock - I use stock cubes
- Salt and pepper
- Cream cheese - or mascarpone
- Thyme - fresh is awesome but dried will also work
- Sage - I use dried because fresh is impossible to find where I live
- Gnocchi - get two bags
Tips for making Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce
I don't cook the gnocchi until the end, but I do get my big pot of water up to a boil while I work on the sauce. If it boils before you're ready, simply leave the lid on the pot and turn the heat off. It will come back to a boil fairly quickly once you're ready for it.
You'll need a big skillet to make your sauce. Start by crisping your pancetta, then pull that out for later. In the same skillet, you'll sautee your onion, then your garlic, then begin building your sauce. Add the butter and scrape up any brown bits as the butter melts, then stir in cream, pumpkin, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Let that all simmer together for a few minutes as you stir to incorporate. Finally, stir in the cream cheese and herbs until it all comes together.
Cook your gnocchi in plenty of boiling salted water. As the little dumplings float the the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon straight into your sauce. This will also transfer some of the starchy pasta water. Once all your gnocchi is transferred, gently stir it all together. If your sauce is too thick, you can add a bit more pasta water until it's the consistency you like. Serve this piping hot with a sprinkle of crispy pancetta and fresh thyme.
Yes, absolutely. The flavor profile is slightly different, but not much. It would be a delicious alternative.
I can't wait for you to dig into this Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce and feel comforted to the core. It's gonna be awesome.
Looking for more awesome gnocchi recipes? Try this Creamy Pesto Gnocchi with Chicken or some Gnocchi Chilli.
PrintGnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce
This Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce is layered with flavor and deeply comforting. With pancetta and fresh thyme, it's a winter dish that will delight your senses and warm you from the inside.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 130 grams (4.5 ounces) smoked pancetta lardons - See note
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup heavy or double cream
- 1 ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 800 grams (28 ounces) gnocchi - See note
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, put a lid on and bring the water to a boil. If it boils before you're ready to cook your gnocchi, just turn the heat off but leave the lid on.
- In a large skillet, cook your pancetta lardons over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
- Reduce the heat under your skillet and add the onion. Sautee in the fat from the pancetta until they begin to soften, about five minutes. Add the garlic and sautee until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the butter to the pan and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan as it melts. Let the butter continue to cook until brown bits start to form and it begins to smell nutty.
- Whisk in the cream and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken slightly.
- Next, stir in the pumpkin, followed by the chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Let that simmer for a few minutes.
- Stir in the cream cheese and herbs. It will take a minute or two for the cream cheese to melt and be incorporated. Let the sauce continue to bubble gently while you cook your gnocchi.
- Make sure your water in your large pot is boiling, and add a big pinch of salt. Then add your gnocchi to the pot. Stir it gently every now and then. Your gnocchi is ready when it floats to the top of the pot. This will usually take 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the gnocchi straight from the pot to the sauce.
- Once all your gnocchi is in your sauce, gently stir it all together. Add additional water form the gnochi pot a little bit at a time if your sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Sprinkle your crispy pancetta over each bowl before serving. A scattering of fresh thyme leaves is also lovely, but optional.
Notes
For the lardons and gnocchi - These are the amounts sold in my supermarket, so use whatever is sold where you live as long as it's roughly equivalent. No need to measure exactly.
Recipe slightly adapted from Sugar Maple Farmhouse.
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