Pumpkin Gnocchi

Recipe By : The New Pasta Cookbook Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin, seeded -- cut in pieces
(1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 to 1 cup potato flour -- sifted
salt and white pepper
nutmeg
1/4 pound unsalted butter
Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place pumpkin in a shallow baking dish, skin side up, pour in 3 tablespoons water and bake until tender.
Remove from the oven and cool. Peel off the skin and any burnt surfaces, then mash the flesh or put it through a food mill to yield 2 cups of pulp.
(It's not recommended to use a blender or food processor, as the resulting puree tends to be watery and lacks body.)
Put pumpkin in a large bowl, season and begin to work in the flours. Use all the semolina and as much of the potato flour as gives a soft kneadable dough. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Knead lightly until elastic. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Break off little pieces about 3/4 inch long. Roll them quickly between the fingers to obtain a smoother surface, then press them with the thumb against the curved back of a fork or grater to get the traditional gnocchi shape. Dust lightly with potato flour and rest for 10 to 12 minutes.
Melt butter in a saucepan and cook it over a medium heat until golden brown. Keep warm.
Cook the gnocchi, a few at a time, in boiling salted water. When they rise to the surface remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to warm bowls. Pour the butter over the top, sprinkle on some Parmesan and serve immediately. Extra Parmesan can be served separately.
NOTES : Choose a richly-colored pumpkin for good texture and flavor, and work quickly and lightly with the dough to avoid toughness. If you are busy it is possible to boil the pumpkin instead of baking it, but the flavor won't be as intense, nor the texture as firm.