Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown butter, sage and hazelnut sauce. - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

Yield: 4- 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 T melted butter, cooled

1 3/4 cups flour

1 large egg yolk

½ tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, preferably fresh

1 stick salted butter, plus 2 tablespoons

1/4 cup torn fresh sage leaves (I like a lot of sage)

½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper

½ cup pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated

Method of preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree with the melted butter. In another bowl combine flour, yolk, salt and nutmeg. Add to pumpkin mixture and knead into soft dough, adding a tablespoon of flour at a time until it is no longer sticky.
2. Divide the dough into 4 equal sections and roll into ¾ inch thickness. Cut into 3/4 inch length pieces, rolling each piece over a fork to create ridges. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to boil and add a generous amount of salt. Cook gnocchi in batches until pieces float, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and reserve.
4. In a sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat. Add in the gnocchi and brown evenly on both sides.
5. Meanwhile, in another sauté pan melt the one stick of butter over medium heat until it deepens in color. Add in the hazelnuts, sage and salt then cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and add a few squeezes of lemon juice. Add sautéed gnocchi to the sauce and toss lightly to coat, then serve with pecorino or parmesan.