Gnocchi is an Italian word for thick, soft dumplings. They are really filling and a perfect fall comfort food. When I make this recipe, I definitely go through the extra steps and make my homemade turkey sausage . By doing so, it really brings in an extra layer of ginger and spice that works really well with the pumpkin. You can make this dish as convenient for you as you like. The gnocchi, pumpkin puree and the sausage can all be made from scratch, but I won’t judge you one bit if you head over to the canned food section of your local grocery store!
As an added bonus, pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants, which makes this practically health food, right? Haha. Ok…..a few dieticians might disagree because of my use of wine and cheese, but I will choose to ignore them and enjoy my bowl of warm, cheesy, fall-flavor-packed bowl of goodness — and let’s not forget the health benefits of wine!
Pumpkin and Sausage Baked Gnocchi
1-17 ounce package of potato gnocchi (or you can make your own)
2 cups cooked/crumbled ground sausage or homemade turkey sausage
2 cloves garlic, fresh, minced
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup dry white wine, I use chardonnay
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¾ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic until fragrant. Add pumpkin, chicken stock, wine, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine gnocchi, pumpkin sauce, and crumbled turkey sausage. Mix until combined. Pour mixture into a glass casserole dish. Top with a few teaspoons full of ricotta cheese. Bake uncovered in oven for 35 minutes. Top with shredded parmesan and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. The mixture will be very hot! Serves 5 to 6.
For more recipe visit wineandhotdish.com!
