If there’s one compensation for the loss of summer’s glossy harvest, it’s the sweetness of so many autumn vegetables – most notably, of course, the pumpkins and winter squashes that have become indelibly associated with Halloween. A relatively recent addition to the European menu, they represent a welcome rush of sugar among all the bitter greens and starchy root vegetables that will inevitably dominate our diets over the next few months.
According to Anna Del Conte, pumpkin gnocchi, a more colourful and frivolous take on the potato-based version, are a speciality of Veneto and southern Lombardy, where, presumably, they would generally be served as a primi piatti before the main event; they also pair beautifully with savoury game stews, spicy sausages and sauteed mushrooms, though. They are, however, quite enough on their own, tossed in plenty of butter. And, frankly, what isn’t?
