Roasted Squash Gnocchi in a Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

 Roasted Kabocha Squash Gnocchi

IG: @mangia.con.elena

If you are visiting this page then chances are you are a lover of gnocchi like me! Just like every other Italian dish, the way they are made varies from region to region. It is typically made with potatoes and flour but if you ask any Italian it's almost a guarantee that they will share a different recipe than the last. Some are adamant about adding eggs and others say no way. Some use semolina flour only and others use all purpose flour or double zero.  Each flour of course will result in a different consistency. 

I prefer my gnocchi with a bit of a chewy consistency. I love the pillowy soft ones and will gladly eat them but I most definitely prefer ones that don't melt in my mouth. Chefs and Italians everywhere will probably disagree with me and say that gnocchi should be pillowy and light and airy. Most definitely, but being Italian, I believe that is entirely a personal choice (and I will gladly defend that!)🤣 

Growing up we ate only potato gnocchi.  I loved my mom's gnocchi. They were fluffy and pillowy and they tasted amazing with a rich, meaty tomato sauce. I would help my mom make the dough and form the snakes and I couldn't wait until Sunday knowing that was what we were having.

If you are new at making gnocchi then I would recommend giving all options a try and see which you prefer. There are different kinds of gnocchi as well and with the popularity of Italian cucina povera,  unique kinds such as beet or butternut squash gnocchi have emerged. I have yet to try beet but I do love butternut squash gnocchi! 

In this recipe I used kabocha squash which is an Asian variety of winter squash. It is much sweeter than butternut squash with a firm, less watery flesh. Its taste is a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato and its edible flesh tastes like chestnuts! If you can not find Kabocha, you can substitute butternut squash. Keep in mind butternut squash is watery and you may need more flour.

Gnocchi recipes  call for a combination of all purpose flour and semolina rimacinata at a 2:1 ratio. Semola rimacinata is wheat flour that is double milled creating a fine and light consistency. It is yellowish in colour and has an elastic, resistant gluten that makes it ideal for pastas, pizza and gnocchi. Regular semolina is not ground twice and is a bit coarser.  HOWEVER, if you prefer a lighter, fluffier gnocchi I would recommend you not use a combination of both and use  00 flour which will yield a pillowy gnocchi.

Another important factor to consider is to not over knead the dough. Overworking it  will create too much gluten and make your gnocchi rubbery. Just work it until it comes together smoothly, you can form a ball, and it rolls well. You also want to use as little flour as needed so be sure to add the flour slowly to the mixture and not add it all at once.  

Making gnocchi takes practise and I promise you the more you give it a go, the more skilled you will become. More than once have my gnocchi turned out tough as nails or melted into a big glob in the water! Don't give up!

* flour measurements are estimates. Start with the recommended amount and then adjust as you go along as needed. You may need more or less depending. Let your hands be your guide!!!

*gnocchi can be cooked fresh or frozen. Do not thaw before boiling. Cook right from frozen! I learned that lesson the hard way!

*if you are on Instagram, please go to my page and click on "gnocchi"under highlights for a step by step videos for the gnocchi and the sauce

Options for flour include

• 2:1 ratio of AP and semola or semolina rimacinata
• 2:1 ratio of Tipo 00 and semola or semolina rimacinata
• all AP
• all Tipo 00
• all semola or semolina

Ingredients

• 3 cups of cooled  and  smashed roasted kabocha or butternut squash(must be at room temperature)
• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 cup semola rimacinata
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (QB)
• 1 egg yolk

      

Directions

1. In a large bowl, smash roasted squash with a fork until lumps are gone and it is smooth. 
2. Add egg yolk and stir into squash.
3. In a separate bowl whisk flours together.
4.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the squash mixture and mix using your hand or a wooden spoon to mix together.
5. The dough will start to form. Continue to add flour until it is formed enough to transfer to a lightly floured wooden surface.
6. Knead dough just until it easily forms into a smooth ball.
7. Using a dough scraper, cut off sections of the dough
8. Roll the dough into logs or snakes about one inch thick. Start rolling in your palm and then transfer to board working from the middle to the end using your palms. 
9. Cut the logs into uniformed sizes.
10. You can indent the middle of the gnocchi with your finger and it will leave a little pocket for the sauce or you can use a gnocchi board if you have one. Alternatively, you can leave them as is!
11. Place on a cookie sheet lined with lightly floured parchment paper. 
12. If freezing, loosely place plastic wrap on the gnocchi ( make sure they are not touching and they have a light coating of flour on them) and put in freezer. Once frozen you can put them in a freezer bag.
13. To cook gnocchi bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add lots of salt and carefully drop in the gnocchi a little at a time. You don't want to drop them all in at once or they may clump.
14. Stir right away so they don't stick to bottom of pot. Bring back to boil and maintain water at a steady boil. 
15. Stir gnocchi frequently and once gnocchi rise to the top of the water they are done ( a few minutes if fresh and a bit longer if frozen)
16. Remove immediately from water with a spider and either place in a pan if using a brown butter  sauce or add some tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese!

                 

Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

1. Add salted butter to a large deep skillet and turn on heat
2. Heat butter being careful not to burn it.  Add washed and dried fresh sage leaves
3. Continue to heat up butter until it turns a beautiful golden colour and begins to bubble. The sage will also crispen up.
4. Add the gnocchi to the pan directly from the water. Do not overcrowd the gnocchi or they will not get crispy on the edges.
5. They don't take long to coat in butter and fry up a bit. Sprinkle with parmigiano.

A mangia!

Fatto Con amore,

Elena 💜

Are you ready?