Look online for gnocchi recipes, and you’ll find all sorts of variations on the classic potato dumplings, from easy substitutes like sweet potato to more unexpected ones like spinach, ricotta, or semolina. Of the replacements I have tried, I have the most success with pumpkin and other winter squash, as I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

Culinary experts who prefer store-bought pumpkin puree to homemade for pie generally give the same recommendation for gnocchi. But with repeated draining and the right accompanying ingredients, Roasted Winter Squash Puree works as successfully in dumplings as in Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Pie. A 3-pound sugar pumpkin or other squash usually creates enough puree for a batch of gnocchi.

Learn more about scratch-made gnocchi and get the complete recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi in my column.

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Twice as Tasty

When you’re working with homemade puree from pumpkin and other winter squash, you really can’t drain away too much liquid. A squash might seem impossibly dense as you struggle to split it open with a knife and remove its seeds, setting them aside to make Spiced and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. But as the halves roast in the oven, they release so much liquid they collapse in their skin.

After I scoop out the flesh and puree it, I always let the still-warm puree drain overnight. If I transfer the puree to a container in the refrigerator or freezer, I drain it again before use—especially thawed puree. The freeze-and-thaw cycle breaks down even more cells, which release even more watery liquid. It’s also important to drain away any ice crystals that formed during storage and melted with the thawed flesh.

Speaking of freezing, pumpkin gnocchi freezes just as well as Homemade Pan-Fried Potato Gnocchi. Shape them completely, and freeze them uncooked on a baking sheet before bagging them for extended storage. When pan-fried while still frozen, both types of dumplings cook almost as quickly as freshly made ones.

I stick to thin yet rich sauces with pumpkin gnocchi so that their distinctive flavor and color shine through. The nutty butter sauce I’ll share in next week’s column is one of my favorite toppings for winter squash pastas, along with just-grated Parmesan cheese.

You can find more saucing ideas in the recipe index. You can also learn my best practices for dry-storing various types of winter squash and other vegetables in this blog post.

Want more Twice as Tasty recipes? Get my books! Click here to order a personally signed, packaged, and shipped copy of The Complete Guide to Pickling directly from me. I also share tasty ways to use pickles in The Pickled Picnic; it’s only available here.