Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry Walnut Pesto

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry-Walnut Pesto

The first truly delicious gnocchi I ate was at a random trattoria in Genoa.  Those lithe pillows swimming in pesto were the start of a love affair.

Two years ago, we spent eight months in Buenos Aires.  Italian roots run deep in Argentina so while there is plenty of beef with chimichurri there is also amazing pasta.  Every neighborhood has their "pasta joint" which sells fresh pasta.   I found the world's best gnocchi not to mention incredible agnolotti on the corner of Soler and Dorrego in Palmero Hollywood.  The traditional potato version was delicious. But nothing compared their heavenly gnocchi de calabaza (pumpkin gnocchi).  We must have eaten hundreds during our stay.

Organic Cabernet from Argentina

Nowadays, if I need a gnocchi de calabaza fix I can't run to the corner and pick it up.  Those days are gone.  All cravings have to be satisfied with my own cooking know how.  So I did a little research and discovered a Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry Walnut Pesto recipe on Would Rather Gather's blog.   Not only is it delicious but it is also vegan.  You can see how it went below;











The key to this recipe is having the dough remain a bit ooey-gooey.  A more solid dough will yield tough heavy gnocchis.  So stick close to the flour amounts provided and resist temptation to add much more. 

I boiled the gnocchi and then transferred to a pan for a quick sear.  Then mixed it with the pesto.  Viola it was ready to serve with a wonderful organic wine.   

This is an incredibly tasty recipe that I can't recommend enough.  It has the added bonus of being vegetarian, vegan so wonderful even meat-eating pals would pronounce it a satisfying meal. 

This year we'll be eating this for Thanksgiving with simple green salad and a meringue topped cranberry curd tart.  But that will be a future post all it's own.