This pumpkin and sage keto gnocchi recipe is the perfect excuse to host an Italian night at home any weeknight even if it’s your first time making gnocchi!
Gnocchi-making is not for the faint of heart or so some say. Although “gnocchi” is the Italian word for “lumps”, you cannot create these small dumplings in a blink.
Traditional gnocchi contains boiled potatoes, mashed and combined with flour to create the dough. Formed into small pieces with that signature ridges, they are then dumped into boiling water and transformed into light and fluffy morsels.
Often served with your usual Italian sauces such as tomato or pesto, it is best to enjoy these tasty pillows of dough with just a coating of warm butter or olive oil and some fresh herbs.
Salivating yet? How about you try your hand at this equally delectable yet low-carb, keto Pumpkin and Sage Gnocchi recipe.
No Noni? No Problem!
My pumpkin and sage keto gnocchi recipe is bound to open your mind and palate to the wonders of low carb and keto cooking. Veering away from traditional, centuries-old recipes can be daunting. You might wonder – will they even taste remotely similar? Well, rest assured that this pumpkin and sage keto gnocchi recipe will not only yield the same tasty, fluffy pillows of gnocchi but will also be as delectable and savoury, thanks to the pumpkin and sage sauce!
When making traditional gnocchi, a lot of things can indeed go wrong. You may end up with rubbery and dense morsels at the worst, or your dumplings could break apart the second they hit your pan of boiling water.
But you don’t need to have a Noni (Italian for Grandma) to produce light and delicate gnocchi, just the way they should be. Although many will tell you that making gnocchi takes a whole of practice and patience, I am confident it will only take you one time to whip together this pumpkin and sage gnocchi recipe.
You Say Italian Gnocchi, I say Keto-Friendly Pumpkin and Sage Gnocchi
Who says you can’t have pasta while on a low-carb diet? With the magic of cheese and almond flour, get ready to reach pasta nirvana without having to break your keto diet!
After making this keto gnocchi recipe once or twice at great success, I suggest setting a day to make a huge batch to freeze so you can enjoy a hearty, Italian meal anytime. You can surely do a repeat performance of this pumpkin and sage gnocchi anytime.
I bet there will be no stopping you from trying out other sauces. That’s the best thing about pasta (and in this case, healthy pasta). It’s like a blank canvas for all the flavours you crave!
Notes
- You can store these in your fridge for up to 5 days.
- If storing with the sauce, make sure to do so separately.
- Both the keto gnocchi and sauce can be frozen.
Related Recipes
Pumpkin and Sage Gnocchi
Ingredients
Gnocchi:
- 1 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 3.5 ounces
- 1 cup almond meal 3.5 ounces
- 1 cup ricotta 9 ounces
- 1 medium egg
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
- 1 stick butter 4 ounces
- whole fresh sage leaves for garnish
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 small onion finely diced
- 9 ounces pumpkin 250 grams
- 1 cup chicken stock 250 ml / 8 fl ounces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp butter for frying
- 1 cup spinach
- shaved Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- For the gnocchi, place the Parmesan, almond meal, ricotta, egg and xanthan gum into a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste; combine well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for an hour to firm up.
- For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the whole sage leaves and chopped sage. Wait until the sage crisps up; remove the whole leaves and drain on a paper towel. Stir the butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Continue stirring, until the colour of the butter beneath the foam turns a rich, dark brown.
- Remove from the heat and add the finely diced onion. Allow to sit in the hot butter while you prepare the pumpkin.
- Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Place pumpkin in the pot, along with the broth.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
- Using a hand blender, blitz the mixture until it forms a smooth sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Returning to the gnocchi, remove the gnocchi mixture from the fridge. Using teaspoons, form the gnocchi into small balls (slightly damp hands will help a lot here as the mixture is quite sticky).
- Flatten the balls gently with a fork. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan and place the gnocchi gently into the pan.
- You can cook these either just on one side, giving them a lovely crust on the bottom but retaining the traditional fork marks on top. Alternatively, you can cook them on both sides, giving you double the amount of crispy, cheesy crust. I did mine half and half and tossed them together. Cook the gnocchi in batches until they are all cooked.
- Before serving, wilt the spinach in the pumpkin sauce. To serve, spoon a portion of sauce into the bottom of a serving bowl.
- Gently layer the gnocchi on top, drizzle with more sauce and top with shaved Parmesan and the fried sage leaves.
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Tips & Notes:
- Store wrapped or covered in the fridge for up to five days.
- Store the gnocchi and sauce separately.
- Both can be frozen.
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Allyn says
So yummy. Roasted the pumpkin before so just added it & cooked down & puréed. Didn’t add spinach (lazy) but it was delicious with a pork chop I’d souesvide’d(?) & pan seared. Perfect fall dinner!
Iva says
Ehm… Italian word for grandma is ‘nonna’, plural is ‘nonne’. You might want to update that 😉
Georgianna says
I’m in the middle of making right now. At some point, does the pumpkin puree join the butter & sage? I can’t find it in the instructions.
I’ll review flavor after dinner!
Paola says
Yes, what happens to the butter and the onion?
Rachelle says
Hi Aaron,
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! Just confirming – it’s 8g net carbs per serving?
Thanks for all your work with your recipes – I have just ordered your sweet tooth book and I’m looking forward to working my way through it! 🙂
FatForWeightLoss says
Hi Rachelle, Net Carbs = Carbs – Fiber.
Jessica says
Can you use canned pumpkin? If yes is it the same amount
FatForWeightLoss says
Yes, you can, use the same amount.