Gnocchi di Zucca

Small sugar pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup butter
½ pound mushrooms
10-15 sage leaves, chopped

Cut a small sugar pumpkin in half and bake, flesh side down, for about 30-40 minutes at 350 or until soft. Scrape out pumpkin and put in a colander to drain. When cool and drained, mash until smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, mix together salt, nutmeg, and 1½ cups flour. Pour onto large board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and place pumpkin and Parmesan cheese in the well. Knead the flour gently into the pumpkin just until mixed. It should still be a little sticky (if too sticky, add a little more flour).

Cut the dough into six pieces. Using one piece at a time, make a “snake” from the dough, rolling it in a little flour.

Cut into ½ inch pieces and drop the pieces into the boiling water. They will fall to the bottom of the pan and then pop up to the surface. When they rise to the surface, remove them with a skimming ladle. Put in a dish and repeat until all the gnocchi are made.

Brown mushrooms and sage in butter in a large pan. Add gnocchi to pan and heat through.

Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Source

Pecan Topped Sweet Potatoes

3 lbs sweet potatoes
2 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter (melted)
salt to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
½ t nutmeg
½ cup orange juice
1 cup chopped pecans

Cut sweet potatoes in thirds and boil until tender. Drain water and cool potatoes, enough so you can peel them (the peel will slip off). Mash well.

Add ¼ cup of the brown sugar, orange juice and seasonings.

Beat eggs and add to potatoes

Put into a 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and the rest of the sugar. Pour butter over the top. Cook for 30 minutes at 375 F, uncovered.

Source