Capture the essence of fall with a hearty bowl of gnocchi, pancetta, sage, and pumpkin.
Little fluffy lumps of potato goodness, gnocchi is one of our favorite fall dishes. They're filling, warming, and quick to cook, which makes them perfect for cooking on a late-season camping trip.
While we would love to make our own gnocchi on-site, we acknowledge it's far more practical to use store-bought when camping. A few minutes in a pot of boiling water and the gnocchi signal when they're done by floating to the top. Drain, lightly coat with oil and set aside.
Meanwhile, it's time to start building some flavor. In a skillet, heat up some cubed pancetta. If possible, purchase a thick slab or two from the deli counter and cube it yourself with a knife. You could also use diced bacon in a pinch, but know the end product with taste a little smokier than if using pancetta.
After removing the pancetta, fry a chopped onion in the rendered fat until soft and slightly golden. Then add in the cooked gnocchi and sage into the mix. Once the gnocchi has been warmed back up, add in the milk and pumpkin puree to make the sauce. Bring to a simmer and let reduce before finally reintroducing the crispy pancetta back in.
A delicious combination of rich flavors like pumpkin, sage and pancetta paired together with light fluffy gnocchi, this recipe is a perfect way to welcome the cool weather.
Autumn Gnocchi
Makes 2-4 servings (30 minutes of preparation)
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 1 lb gnocchi
- salt
Sauce
- 4 oz. pancetta, diced
- 1 cup thinly sliced onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup whole milk or cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Fresh cracked pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the pot and boil 2-3 minutes, or until the gnocchi float to the surface. Drain and set aside.
In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium. Add the pancetta and cook about 10 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crispy. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
Drain excess fat, if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add the onion. Saute for 5 minutes before adding half the sage, then saute 5 minutes more, or until the onions are very soft and beginning to brown in places.
Add the pumpkin puree and milk to the skillet and stir until smooth. Add gnocchi and pancetta to the sauce and simmer until slightly thickened and the gnocchi and pancetta have warmed through.
Serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh cracked pepper.
