‘Tis the season for butternut squash! I’m tossing some butternut squash in these ricotta based gnocchi to make them fall-weather approved. I know when some people see the word gnocchi they either 1. don’t know what on earth that is or 2. they think it’s super time consuming. First, gnocchi is probably my favorite Italian dish; it’s traditionally made with potatoes, flour, and egg described as a dumpling of sorts. It can be served like pasta with a red sauce. Second, I would agree that traditional potato gnocchi is time consuming. But, not these ricotta gnocchi! After the butternut squash is roasted (this part is the most time consuming) you puree it, mix everything together and form the gnocchi dumplings. Add some mushrooms, shallots, broccoli, and lemon juice and you have yourself a great fall dinner.
Speaking of fall, Happy October 1st! Now that it’s officially October, I started a Halloween Pinterest board, it’s filled with recipes, decorating ideas, carving pumpkins, and that sort of fun stuff. I don’t particularly looove Halloween (Thanksgiving is my favorite, can you guess why?? -> the food!), but it’s fun to see all the creative things people come up with! One thing I always partake in is pumpkin carving & pumpkin seed roasting. And I always attempt to make caramel apples…I have yet to be successful with that. What are your favorite Halloween traditions or decorations?
I didn’t want anything to overpower the gnocchi, I wanted the butternut squash to be the star flavor. There isn’t really a saucy sauce, after sautéing the gnocchi with butter and lemon juice, you can add either a little bit more butter or olive oil and that’s it!
I love sautéing gnocchi instead of boiling them because the outer edges get perfectly crispy and golden brown. If you’re planning on freezing some or all of the gnocchi, make sure to freeze them before cooking.
Butternut Squash Ricotta Gnocchi
https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/bs.gnocchi.ig-0239.jpg
| Yield: serves 4 people |
Fresh ricotta butternut squash gnocchi sauteed with mushrooms, shallots, and broccoli.
You'll Need...
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 - 1 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces mushrooms
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 head small broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon parsley
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butternut squash on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper. Roast 30 - 40 minutes until soft. Let cool and puree until almost smooth.
- Make the gnocchi: In a medium bowl, place the pureed squash, ricotta, cheese, salt, and flour (gradually add flour, you might not need it all). Knead/mix until combined.
- Keeping the gnocchi in a ball, pinch off 1/2 tablespoon of dough and form in a mini log. Place on a floured surface. Continue with all the dough.
- Saute the gnocchi (in batches, if needed) in a large non-stick pan with 1 - 2 tablespoon butter. Remove gnocchi from pan and place in a 200 degree oven to keep warm. Then, melt the rest of the butter and saute the mushrooms, shallots, and broccoli for 8 minutes, until everything is tender.
- Place roasted vegetables and gnocchi in one large serving bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley.
Additional Notes
images & text © North Coast Eats
adapted from Pinch of Yum
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