Pumpkin Gnocchi With Chanterelle Mushrooms/Porcini

An earthy, hearty and warming Italian-Austrian medley of fantastic aroma, a bit of work and effort, but absolutely worth it! Serve as a starter or main dish.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 700  g pumpkin (Hokkaido, Butternut, Muscat)
• 350  g potatoes (for mashed potatoes)
• 300  g flour
• 1  egg (size M to L)
• 50  g butter
• 50  g parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1  dash nutmeg (freshly ground)
•  salt and pepper
• 750  g  chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and coarsley chopped (or about 60g porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 min. or 750g other mushrooms such as Bot)
• 2  shallots (minced)
• 2 -3  garlic cloves (minced)
• 100  ml dry white wine
• 100 -150  ml  cream or 100 -150  ml creme fraiche
• 1 -2  tablespoon fresh parsley (roughly chopped) or 1  tablespoon sage
•  grated parmesan cheese (or parmesan shaves for garnish)

Directions

1. Clean pumpkin, discard seeds and chop.
2. Meanwhile preheat oven to 200°C.
3. Butter a pan/casserole dish, add pumpkin chunks and let bake for about 50-60 minute (you could also roast them in a pan, for about 15 minute until soft, tastes a bit different, but saves quite some time).
4. Cook potatoes until soft (for about 20 min).
5. Take pumpkin chunks out of the oven and let cool.
6. Rinse cooked potatoes under cold water and peel.
7. Put pumpkin chunks through a (potatoe) ricer into a bowl.
8. Do the same with the potatoes (cut in chunks first).
9. Add flour, nutmeg, parmesan, salt and pepper, about 20g of butter and the egg.
10. Knead to a medium to firm dough (add flour if necessary).
11. Form small rolls out of Gnocchi dough and cut in about half inch size pieces (use some flour in case the dough tends to stick to your working place's surface. If you like your Gnocchi to soak up the sauce better, make slight indentations with fork rakes -- does look pretty as well).
12. Heat water in a large pot.
13. Meanwhiles melt the rest of the butter in a pan.
14. Add chopped shallots and garlic. Fry until soft and fragrant.
15. Add chopped chanterelles (or porcini or any other mushroom you like to use).
16. Let fry until they loose water and turn soft.
17. Let mushroom fry dry a bit and then add the white wine and cream. Let cook until sauce thickens and gets a very creamy texture.
18. Meanwhile add Pumpkin Gnocchi to boiling water and let simmer until they come to the surface. (about 2-3 minutes).
19. Strain gnocchi (or use a slotted spoon) and add to mushroom sauce.
20. Toss carefully and add chopped parsley or sage.
21. Salt and pepper to taste.
22. Transfer to deep dish plates and garnish with parmesan (shaves).