Crispy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Balsamic Brown Butter

Pumpkins aren't just for carving or pies; these colorful gourds lend themselves to some amazing savory dishes as well! Refined comfort food, right?

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned)

200 ml Savory Olive Butter Olive Oil, reserve 2 tablespoons and set aside

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/4 cup fresh sage

For the Balsamic Brown Butter

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/4 cup Savory Olive Pumpkin Spice Balsamic Vinegar (Seasonal)

3 tablespoons fresh sage

Directions:

Blend pumpkin puree, 2 Tbsp olive oil, egg yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a large bowl. One mixed together add your flour 1/4 cup at a time, and continue fold the dough onto itself in the bowl. Be careful not to over work the dough, only fold until the flour is just  incorporated.

Please note that the dough will be sticky and that you should use a dough scraper to continually scrape off any dough that has become stuck to the work surface. Keep your hands floured while you work with the dough as well, but be careful not to incorporate too much flour as this will negatively affect the texture and taste of the gnocchi. Allow the gnocchi to rest while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Once the flour is added, test the texture by grabbing a piece of dough and rolling it out on a well-floured surface until it is a 1/2 inch thick rope. It should be soft, and almost like mashed potatoes when you poke it, but firm enough that it holds itself together. If it keeps falling apart, add a little more flour, but only until it just holds together. You do not  want to add to much flour.

One your dough is rolled out cut the gnocchi into 1/2 inch thick rounds and then take a fork to the top of each round and gently press down horizontally to leave an imprint. Very lightly dust them with flour as you make them and place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ridged side up.

In large pot, bring 6 cups salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi in batches; dropping into water and cooking 2 minutes or until pieces float. Remove with slotted spoon to bowl. You don't want you gnocchi sitting on top of each other in the water or they will stick and not cook right.

Pour the remaining olive oil into a large frying pan so that it is 1 inch deep. Heat the oil until a drop of water flicked into it sputters, then add the gnocchi one at a time, cooking them in a single layer (i.e. don't stack them on top of each other in a blob otherwise they will get stuck to each other as they cook). One they're golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a plate lined with paper towels.

In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown bits form and it has a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the shallots, balsamic vinegar, and sage. Stir well. Adjust seasoning, to taste.

Once all the gnocchi are cooked, toss them in a large bowl with the brown butter, hazelnuts, sage and serve immediately.