Pumpkin souffle

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Place pumpkin pieces and a minced garlic clove, on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until soft. Pumpkin will loose it’s water, and the gnocchi dough will need less flour. Let cool.

While pumpkin is roasting, prepare a sort of béchamel. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour stirring constantly for 1 minute and gradually stir in the milk. Stir until smooth, light and creamy (it will take 3- 4 minutes). Remove the sauce pan from the heat and season to taste, adding salt pepper and parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Using a potato smasher, puree the pumpkin and garlic over a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the béchamel and, when the mixture is cold, add the yolks.

In a large bowl and whip the egg whites until you form a firm mixture, similar to meringue mix.

Add a hint of salt. Make sure all the equipment you are using is spotless and clean. Greasy spoons or whisk stop egg whites from rising, and your souffle may collapse.

Preheat the oven, 180°C/ 375F. If I want to be sure that my soufflé rises perfectly, I start out with the oven 25 to 50 degrees higher than needed, than I turn down after adding the ramequins to compensate for the heat lost.

Mix the pumpkin compost to the whipped egg whites. Be attentive to incorporate the two parts in a delicate way, doing an eight movement with the spatula, from the bottom to the top of the bowl.

When all ingredients are well incorporated, divide the mixture into 6 greased ramekins and bake in preheated oven for 30′ or until they rise up and turn gently golden.