‘Tis the season for pumpkin, even on this 73 degree day here in Philadelphia.

Always on the lookout for new and interesting ingredients, and came across this Marina di Chioggia pumpkin while waiting in line at my local grocer — shout out to Riverwards (Fishtown, Philly). There was a big box filled with them, just staring at me. I was easily seduced.

This heirloom pumpkin originates in a fishing village, Chioggia (pronounced kee-ohj’-jah), on the coast of Italy, south of Venice. It is known as a sea pumpkin, after its native town in the lagoon.

It has a creamy, mild, sweet, nutty flavor, which I had read is ideal for ravioli filling and gnocchi. Today, gnocchi it is.

It’s easy enough to make. Just make sure not to overwork the dough. You want to briefly knead, no more than a minute or two, just until the dough comes together. Otherwise, the gnocchi might be tough.

My gnocchi came out light and airy. I served it simply, tossed in butter with shallot, chorizo and fresh sage from the garden.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

Adapted from Edible Communities
Makes 11 1/2 to 12 dozen gnocchi
2 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin/winter squash (such as Marina di Chioggia, butternut, Kabocha)
3/4 teaspoon dried powdered thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of black pepper
2 cups all purpose flour plus a bit extra for dusting

To cook the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and place the pumpkin cut side up in a baking pan. Fill the pan with water to one inch. Cover with foil and roast until tender, about 90 minutes.

Scoop out the pumpkin pulp and mash by hand to achieve a smooth consistency.

Combine 2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl. Add the thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the flour, mixing until all the flour is absorbed and a sticky dough is formed.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough for about 2 minutes or until the dough comes to a smooth consistency and color, using extra flour as needed. Do not overwork the dough; if so, your gnocchi will be chewy.

Divide dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into a 3/4-inch diameter cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 1/2-inch pieces. One by one, take each piece and roll off the back of a fork or gnocchi board.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop desired amount of gnocchi into the water. When they float to the top, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scoop them out.

To serve, I melted some butter, added minced shallot and cooked 4 to 5 minutes, added a little finely cubed chorizo and lightly tossed with the cooked gnocchi. I finished with a sprinkling of fresh, chopped sage, after which I cooked for another 30 seconds and then served.