Hokkaido Pumpkin Gnocchi With Hazelnut Pesto

Hokkaido pumpkins are a squash variety that is ideal for cooking because it has both a great consistency and flavor. In this recipe, it is used as the base for gnocchi along with some potato. The hazelnut pesto adds great nutty and herby flavor to the dish. If you thought making your own gnocchi would be a challenging task, think again!

HOKKAIDO PUMPKIN GNOCCHI WITH HAZELNUT PESTO [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE GNOCCHI:

• 31.8 ounces of Hokkaido pumpkin flesh
• 14 ounces potatoes
• Sea salt, as needed
• Flour (gluten-free if necessary)
• Rice flour, as needed

FOR THE HAZELNUT PESTO:

• 17 ounces of fresh green leaves (could be parsley or leek leaves)
• 1 cup of hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup of mixed nuts
• 1 bunch of fresh sage
• Olive oil, as needed
• White pepper or other pepper, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Lemon zest

FOR TOPPING:

• Toasted hazelnuts
• Toasted nuts
• Dried edible flowers
• Fresh sage leaves

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE PUMPKIN GNOCCHI:

1. Wash and scrub the pumpkin. Remove the seeds and inedible parts and then cut into medium-sized pieces.
2. Put it in a saucepan and sprinkle it with water a pinch of salt, cover and cook until lightly browned.
3. Cook the potatoes until they are soft.
4. Flour working surface and then mash together the cooked pumpkin and potato. Start incorporating enough flour to get a soft dough ball that does not stick to your hands. 
5. Create pieces of dough by stretching it out with your hands until you have rolls about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut each roll until you get your preferred size of gnocchi.
6. Press gnocchi on the rigging wood or on the back of a fork to create classic strips, or leave them smooth. Flour the gnocchi and cover with a cloth until cooking.

TO MAKE THE PESTO:

1. Roast hazelnuts in the oven at 320°F and mixed nuts at 275°F.
2. Wash the parsley and leek leaves and cook in lightly salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and pass immediately into water and ice to keep the color.
3. Infuse the sage leaves in the oil for at least 1 hour.
4. Put nuts and hazelnuts in a blender or food processor with a little salt. When they are small pieces, add the green leaves and the sage oil and continue to blend until you get a pesto of the texture you prefer. Taste and season.

TO COOK THE GNOCCHI AND ASSEMBLE:

1. Put the gnocchi in salted boiling water and drain them with a perforated ladle when they come to the surface. It’s important not to dump them all together but to add them in small quantities to avoid sticking to cooking.
2. Sprinkle with a ladle of boiling water and prepare seasoned pesto when serving.
3. If you like, add toasted nuts and hazelnuts, sage leaves, and edible flowers. Serve immediately.

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