Add a new Fall favorite to your list with these butternut squash gnocchi made with roasted butternut squash and simply dressed with butter and sage.
Butternut is probably my favorite fall squash: a little sweet, smooth and creamy. It’s good in soup, roasted, pureed, or added to your favorite baked goods. It usually makes a few appearances in my CSA during these autumn months and this year is definitely no exception. I’ve already cooked two medium ones and I have one small, a medium and an absolutely GINORMOUS one waiting to be cooked. (I’m not kidding, the big one weighs at least 15 pounds. I’m plotting a marathon baking weekend where I deliver muffins to all my friends…)
I decided to mix some into gnocchi for a change from my usual squash recipes and I’m glad I did. The squash adds a bit of sweetness and some beautiful fall color to homemade gnocchi. I paired with butter and sage – and served it with duck confit. Perfection with a nice glass of red wine! This recipe makes enough for at least 4 servings. After chilling the gnocchi, I froze half for another dinner. Freeze them on a baking sheet and then once solid, pop them into a freezer bag for easy storage.
Love butternut squash? Try these:
- Mashed butternut squash
- Butternut squash muffins
- Kale salad with butternut squash
- Curried squash soup
- 1 large or 2 medium Russet potatoes (about 12-oz. total), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup pureed, roasted butternut squash
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups flour, or more if needed
- 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 10-12 whole sage leaves
- In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. While the potatoes are still warm, put through a potato ricer. Allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the squash, riced potatoes, Parmesan, egg, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.
- Gradually add the flour to form a dough. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour. This will depend on the moisture in your squash.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes on a floured surface then cut it into 8 pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle it with a little flour.
- Roll each piece of dough into a long cylinder that's about ½-inch thick. Cut into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll the back of a fork over each gnocchi to create ridges. Transfer to the baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- At this point you can freeze some if you want. Place the raw gnocchi on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once solid, transfer them to a plastic bag for storage.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add desired amount of gnocchi and cook for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a piece of parchment to drain and cool.
- Just before serving, heat 6 tablespoons of the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped sage. Add the gnocchi and saute until gnocchi are golden and a little crisp.
- Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. When it's hot, add the whole sage leaves in a single layer. Cook for a few seconds until crisp. Remove leaves and drain on a paper towel.
- To serve, divide the gnocchi among serving plates. Drizzle with the butter and chopped sage from the pan and top each with a few whole sage leaves. Top with additional Parmesan if desired.
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