Part 1: Making the Gnocchi Dough

1. Prepare Your Wet Ingredients: First, address the moisture. Spread your 1 cup of pumpkin purée onto a plate lined with a few layers of paper towels. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes to absorb excess water. If your ricotta seems wet, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve.

2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the blotted pumpkin purée, drained ricotta cheese, 1 large egg yolk, and ½ cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Mix with a fork or spatula until everything is smoothly incorporated.

3. Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.

4. Form the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a fork or spatula until a shaggy dough begins to form. Do not overmix! Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.

5. Knead Gently: With floured hands, gently knead the dough for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until it comes together into a smooth, soft, and slightly sticky ball. It should feel like a soft pillow. The less you work the dough, the lighter your gnocchi will be.

6. Rest the Dough: Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and makes the dough easier to roll.

Part 2: Shaping the Gnocchi

1. Divide the Dough: Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.

2. Roll into Ropes: Working with one piece at a time (keep the others covered), use the palms of your hands to gently roll the dough into a long rope about ¾-inch in diameter. If the dough is sticky, lightly flour your hands and the work surface as needed.

3. Cut into Pillows: Using a bench scraper or a knife, cut the rope into ½- to ¾-inch pieces. These are your gnocchi!

4. Create Ridges (Optional): To give your gnocchi ridges (which helps the sauce cling to them), you can gently roll each piece over the tines of a fork or a gnocchi board. Press lightly with your thumb and roll the gnocchi down the tines to create an indentation on one side and ridges on the other. This step is optional; simple pillows are also delicious.

5. Arrange for Cooking: As you shape the gnocchi, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper. This prevents them from sticking together.

Part 3: Cooking the Gnocchi and Making the Sauce

1. Boil the Water: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a very generous amount of salt (it should taste like the ocean).

2. Start the Brown Butter Sauce: While the water comes to a boil, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ½ cup of unsalted butter. Allow it to melt completely.

3. Infuse with Sage: Once the butter is melted and begins to foam, add the fresh sage leaves to the skillet in a single layer.

4. Brown the Butter: Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will foam, then the foam will subside, and you will see the milk solids at the bottom of the pan begin to turn a golden brown. The air will fill with a wonderfully nutty aroma. This entire process takes about 3-5 minutes. Watch it carefully, as it can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly. Once it’s amber-brown and smells nutty, remove it from the heat. The sage leaves should be dark green and crispy.

5. Cook the Gnocchi: Carefully drop the gnocchi into the boiling salted water. Don’t overcrowd the pot; cook them in 2-3 batches. Give them a gentle stir to prevent sticking.

6. Float to the Top: The gnocchi will sink to the bottom at first. After about 2-3 minutes, they will begin to float to the surface. This is the sign that they are cooked. Let them bob on the surface for another 15-20 seconds to ensure they are cooked through.

7. Transfer to the Sauce: Using a spider strainer or a slotted spoon, lift the cooked gnocchi directly from the pot and transfer them into the skillet with the brown butter and sage sauce. A little pasta water clinging to them is good!

8. Toss and Emulsify: Return the skillet to low heat. Add a few tablespoons of the starchy gnocchi cooking water to the skillet. Gently toss the gnocchi in the sauce. The pasta water will help the butter emulsify into a beautiful, glossy sauce that coats every piece of gnocchi.

9. Serve Immediately: Divide the gnocchi among warm bowls. Spoon any extra brown butter and crispy sage leaves over the top. Garnish with toasted pecans, extra grated Parmesan, and a few cracks of black pepper.