Autumnal pumpkin gnocchi in sage butter

Pumpkins as far as the eye can see when you stroll through the markets in Innsbruck. They are THE autumn vegetable par excellence and shine in the most diverse colours and varieties. From butternut squash, spaghetti squash and nutmeg squash to the classic, the Hokkaido squash. The taste reminds a bit of chestnuts and fits perfectly into the current autumn cuisine: as soup, risotto, puree or in pumpkin gnocchi. This time we have a homemade gnocchi recipe! The dough can be made in no time, but it takes a bit of patience to shape the gnocchi. For me, it's a really meditative activity. Together in a sociable round it goes then of course best and also fastest. But the work is worth it, I promise!

VEGETABLES FROM THE MARKET

Saturday is market day! I prefer to get my fruit and vegetables directly from regional farmers. Going to markets, meeting the producers and getting a connection to the produce and where it comes from has become increasingly important to me in recent years. To then come home with a full bag of fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, cheese or other goodies is the perfect start to the weekend!

The Farmers' market at Wiltener Platzl is open every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., all year round with a short Christmas break from 25.12. to 06.01. For example, you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the Ochsnerhof in Arzl, alpine cheese, butter, natural yoghurt and fresh farmhouse bread from the Alm & Hofkäserei Burgerhof, brook trout and trout (fresh and smoked) from the Geroldsmühle fish farm and much more.

As for farmers' markets in general - they usually take place on one or at most two specific days a week and usually on Saturdays. Besides fruit, vegetables, all kinds of sausage and cheese specialties, you can often buy ready-made cakes or other delicacies like dumplings. Some markets are closed during the winter months, but others are open all year round. Be sure to check before you go!

So next time you're at the market, grab a pumpkin and try these delicious pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter!

WHAT YOU NEED FOR 4 SERVINGS:

FOR THE PUMPKIN GNOCCHI:

• 500 g Hokkaido pumpkin
• 300 g floury potatoes
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 g flour (more if needed)
• 50 g parmesan, freshly grated
• Salt, pepper
• A little nutmeg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• 100 g butter
• Sage leaves to taste
• freshly shaved parmesan

AND THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE:

To make the gnocchi dough, wash the potatoes and boil in salted water with the skins on until tender. Peel the potatoes and press them through a potato ricer while still hot. Wash, core and roughly dice the pumpkin. Place in a strainer and steam over boiling water until soft, about 15 minutes, then mash finely. If the pumpkin is too watery, carefully squeeze the puree in a tea towel if necessary or use a little more flour.

Mix the squeezed potatoes with the pumpkin puree, flour and egg yolk to a homogeneous mass. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Finally mix in the Parmesan cheese. Form the dough on a floured work surface into rolls about two centimetres thick. Cut them with a knife into two centimetre long pieces, form them into balls and roll them over a gnocchi board. If you don't have a gnocchi board, simply press a pattern onto the gnocchi with a fork.

Place the dough pieces on a kitchen towel, sprinkle with a little flour, then gradually place them in boiling salted water and let them cook at a lower temperature. As soon as the gnocchi rise to the top in the water, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain well.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the sage leaves and heat briefly. The butter should not turn brown. Cover the pumpkin gnocchi with the melted sage butter and plenty of shaved Parmesan and serve immediately.

Tip: The pumpkin gnocchi taste especially good if you serve them with crispy sage leaves. Simply wash a few sage leaves, dab them dry and place them next to each other in the pan. Fry over a low heat until crispy, turning once. Meal time!