Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi with a Creamy Sage Sauce

My family loves gnocchi, that hardy potato pasta in the funky shape.  Hannah used to call them "pasta balls" and eat them with her fingers.  We used to buy them in the store and have them occasionally. Since going vegan and gluten free, store bought gnocchi is no longer an option.  They are made with wheat or the gluten free ones have eggs in them.
Sadly, my neighbors dog died.  They were very loving pet caretakers and would make the dog food in their home using roasted pork and canned pumpkin.  She ordered cases of large cans of pumpkin in bulk and was left with nearly 3 whole cases when her precious friend passed.  Knowing I cook and bake, she gave me a case of pumpkin.  I've made brownies, muffins, and bread.  I got pretty sick of baked goods so I moved on to Pumpkin Pie smoothies.  That used like 1/4 cup of pumpkin and I had quarts of it.  I had heard of sweet potato and squash gnocchi, so I thought, why not....
Pumpkin Gnocchi!
Guess what?  It's been done... with wheat and eggs.  Surely it can be done without!
So here is what I did.  They are not the prettiest, but they taste fantastic.  Tossed with a little extra virgin olive oil and topped with a creamy vegan sage sauce, they were gobbled up.
Let's start with the Dough:
After playing with the proportions, the best way I found was the following... it's pretty gooey and wet, but cooks up beautifully and the texture is perfect!

2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cup gluten free flour (I used sweet sorghum flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Mix it all together with a fork until is comes together.  
Divide it into fourths, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze three of them for later.
Turn remaining dough out onto a floured surface and press to just under an inch thick.
Cut it into half inch wide strips and then to one inch sections.

Use a fork to make markings on the pieces.  This helps the pasta capture more of the sauce.

Get a sauce pan going with rapidly boiling salted water.  Use a slotted spoon to lower 6-8 gnocchi into the water at a time.  I boiled 2 spoonfuls at once (about a dozen) for about 6 minutes or 

1 minute AFTER they float to the top.

Place cooked gnocchi into a large bowl with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and toss until coated.

While pasta is getting cooked, work on the sauce...

Creamy Sage Sauce:

One yellow onion

3 garlic cloves 

1/2 cup raw pinenuts (pigolis)

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup almond milk

salt

pepper

12 fresh sage leaves

1 tsp sugar

Slice the onion and chop the garlic and cook with 1/4 cup of water in a hot pan until soft.

Add the wine and cook slightly to remove alcohol.  

Place in a blender with the raw pine nuts and almond milk.  Blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, send your daughter out to the garden to pick the dozen sage leaves. Slice them thin and heat them up in the now empty hot pan.

Pour the blended creaminess into the sage pan and stir.  Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

I had some beautiful asparagus so I lightly steamed them and finished them off 

on the cast iron griddle until bright green.  

Remember to keep boiling those small batches of gnocchi and putting them in the oiled bowl.

Serve up and Enjoy!