Pumpkin Gnocchi with Taleggio Sauce

To prepare the pumpkin gnocchi with taleggio sauce, start by making the gnocchi dough. Boil the potatoes for 30-40 minutes in a pot with plenty of salted water 1. You can check their doneness with the tines of a fork: they will be ready when they are soft but not disintegrating. Alternatively, you can bake the whole potatoes in the oven and scoop out the pulp once cooked. In the meantime, cut the pumpkin into slices and remove the seeds and internal strands 2, then peel it 3.

Cut it into thin slices 4 and place them well-spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated static oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes 5. This process will dry the pumpkin, making the subsequent dough preparation easier. Once ready, set it aside. Meanwhile, the potatoes will also be ready, peel them and proceed with making the gnocchi. Sift the flour onto the work surface 6 and shape it into a fountain, creating a well in the center.

Press the warm potatoes through a ricer 7. Season with salt and pepper. Aromatize the dough with nutmeg 8 and press the warm pumpkin through the ricer as well 9.

Work the dough as quickly as possible, using a dough scraper to compact the ingredients 10. Then beat an egg 11 and, after shaping the dough into a well, add the egg to the center 12.

Mix the egg into the dough with a fork 13 and work it quickly with a dough scraper 14, shaping it into a dough ball. Sift cornstarch over it 15.

Mix in the cornstarch quickly with a dough scraper 16 and shape the dough into a sphere 17, which you will cover and let rest at room temperature with a cloth 18 for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, not sticky. If it is sticky, we recommend adding cornstarch, not flour.

Then, take the dough again, dust the work surface with flour to prevent sticking, and take a small piece. Shape it into a stick, then cut it into small pieces about 1.5-2 cm 19. Repeat the process until all the dough is used up. Finally, take each piece of dough and, pressing it lightly on the tines of a fork or a gnocchi board, create the characteristic ridges 20. Place the ready-to-cook gnocchi on a tray covered with a floured cloth 21 and set them aside.

Proceed with preparing the taleggio sauce: cut the cheese into cubes 22 and heat the milk in a small pot 23, without bringing it to a boil, and season it with nutmeg 34.

While heating the milk, in another small pot, melt the butter over low heat and add the flour gradually 25. During this process, keep whisking the ingredients to create a fairly thick and golden roux 26. Now add the milk 27, continuing to whisk.

Then add the taleggio cubes 28 and melt them by stirring with a hand whisk. Let the mixture thicken over low heat, and when you achieve the right consistency, turn off the heat and pour it into a non-stick pan. At this point, cook the gnocchi in batches in plenty of salted water 29. When they float to the surface, they are ready: scoop them up with a slotted spoon 30 to drain excess water.

Pour them into the pan with the taleggio sauce 31 and mix them well 32 so that the gnocchi absorb the cheese fondue. Finally, plate your pumpkin gnocchi with taleggio sauce 33 and enjoy them while still hot!