Butternut Squash Gnocchi ~*Recipe ReDux*~

This month’s theme for The Recipe ReDux is: 7-Ingredient (Or Less) Recipes

It’s Income Tax Season, so our brains could use some easy arithmetic; as in seven-ingredient-or-less recipes. Show us the healthy, no-brainer dish you fix for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I think I made gnocchi once in a cooking class 7 years ago. This butternut squash gnocchi was my first attempt since, and it turned out pretty darn good for my being so rusty. Using butternut squash instead of the more traditional potato adds a bright color and an extra boost of vitamins and fiber.

The gnocchi are made from just a few ingredients: roasted butternut squash puree mixed with salt, egg and flour. Any sauce goes here but I prefer a simple butter-garlic-herb combination to gently coat the pillowy pasta. 

To roast a butternut squash, cut off the top and bottom ends (you can pierce the squash a few times with a knife and then microwave it for 1 to 3 minutes to make it easier to cut through), slice the squash vertically in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub down with olive oil and roast for about 50 to 60 minutes. Puree the flesh and voila, you have puree.

To remove excess liquid from the squash (prevents us from having to add extra flour to the gnocchi), transfer the puree to a pot on the stove and heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Spread the puree onto a plate and place in the refrigerator until cool.

Mix cooled squash puree with 1 whisked egg, salt and all purpose flour, and knead the dough.

(Iowa Girl Eats blog has some great step by step photos of the process here)

My dough was very sticky and required a very well-floured surface. If your dough becomes too difficult to work with, try wrapping it in saran wrap and refrigerating the dough for 5 to 30 minutes before working with it again.

Once you have a solid mass of dough, pinch off pieces, roll into logs, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. If you want to feel fancy, roll the pasta over the back of a fork to create the traditional grooves. I did this with the second half of my batch (not pictured).

Place the gnocchi onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until mostly hard. Once frozen you can cook immediately or transfer to a sealed container and keep frozen until ready to use (no need to thaw before cooking).

To cook, pop into a boiling pot of water and cook for about 3 minutes or until they start to rise to the top of the pot. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to a pan with some melted butter and garlic and saute until just golden on each side.

Anyone out there have tips for a gnocchi making novice like myself?!

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

makes 8 servings

*Note: You can make the squash puree a day ahead to save time when you make the actual gnocchi.

For the gnocchi:

1 butternut squash (~3lb)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, whisked

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Sauce (for two, 1-cup servings): 

2 tablespoons butter

1 large clove garlic

optional: fresh thyme or sage

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. To make the squash easier to cut through, prick the bulb end with a fork or knife a few times and microwave for 1-3 minutes. Let cool for a minute. Slice the squash in half vertically, scoop out the seeds, rub the flesh with olive oil, and roast, cut side up for about 50 to 60 minutes.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the peel and place flesh into a blender or food processor, or mash well by hand. Transfer the puree to a pot and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes to remove some of the excess liquid. Spread the puree onto a large plate and refrigerate until cool, at least 1 to 2 hours.

Measure out 2 cups cold squash puree (should be most of it) and place in a large bowl. Stir in the salt and whisked egg. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a heavily floured surface and knead until dough comes together. The dough may feel sticky, keep flouring your hands.

Pinch off large hunks of the dough then roll into a rope and cut into 1/2-to-1-inch sections to form the gnocchi. Place onto a wax paper or foil-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid then transfer to a freezer bag, or cook gnocchi immediately.

To cook gnocchi (makes 2 servings or 2 cups of gnocchi. Multiply the sauce recipe as needed and add an extra 1 cup of gnocchi per extra serving): Bring a large pot of water to a boil then salt lightly. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add garlic and optional herb. Cook until garlic is just starting to turn golden brown.

Add 1 cup gnocchi at a time to the boiling water, then cook at a gentle boil until gnocchi float to the top, about 3 minutes. Transfer using a slotted spoon or spider to the garlic butter and herb sauce. Cook remaining gnocchi then add to the skillet.