Easy Butternut Squash Gnocchi
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These butternut squash gnocchi are pillowy, fragrant, comforting and very easy to make at home from scratch. Quickly boiled in water and served with a creamy butter & sage sauce.
I'm totally obsessed with butternut squash! But you probably already guessed so, due to the large amount of recipes that already are on the blog, like these:
- Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
- Vegan Christmas-y Lasagna
- Lentil & Squash Savoy Cabbage Rolls
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Giant Couscous Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Lentil & Squash Pie
- Vegan British Dumpling Stew
An during this season (autumn or fall, depending on where you live) I cannot help but cooking with this wonderful ingredient every other day!
A while back I experimented this recipe with a bunch of leftover roasted squash, that I was meaning to use to shoot better pictures of my Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe, but I didn't feel like making pasta that day.
And this happened:
I didn't have potatoes that day, so instead I tried using potato flakes for instant mash, and omg! They work and save lot of time too. Me and Guy were seriously that amazed with it that he suggested me to share the recipe on the blog, so here I am! 🙂
How to make Butternut Squash Gnocchi
To make these butternut squash fluffy pillows we only need 3 ingredients (plus water):
Roasted Butternut Squash, or Pumpkin of your choice. The roasted type is better than boiled, because it will result drier and it will incorporate less flour. To roast the butternut squash you can follow the step 1 of this recipe. To speed up the baking time you can chop the squash in more pieces prior to cook. Alternatively, you can steam the squash until fork tender.
Potato Flakes, or very starchy Potatoes. As mentioned I used potato flakes the very first time I tried to make these gnocchi and I was amazed by the result. As I normally roast at least a couple of squashes to use up within one week I prefer this ingredient for practicality, as all the time I used butternut squash that is already cooked and ready to use. If you are making this from scratch and don't like the idea of using potato flakes (or simply you don't have any) you can steam both potatoes and squash chopped into cubes until they are both fork tender. Transfer on a kitchen cloth to absorb the excess of moisture, wait for them to cool down completely and proceed with the rest of the steps. The trick is to keep the potatoes dry so that the gnocchi are fluffy and melt in the mouth. Some people bake the potatoes as well, I personally have tried both methods and they work very well, so just keep the one you find better for you, as long as you DO NOT BOIL the potatoes and squash, as water and moisture won't make the gnocchi to hold their shape and you'll be adding way to much flour to the dough that will compromise the entire outcome.
For this reason, it's advised to use floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Yukon Gold for best results. Also Russets will do, but I'd personally go with one of the first three mentioned.
Flour. All purpose or even gluten free flour will do the trick. It is important to add just enough flour to bind the gnocchi dough together. Keep in mind that the dosage of the recipe can vary depending on the nature of your ingredients. If you're using roasted squash and potato flakes, the amount should be perfect, however if you decide to use fresh potatoes and/or steam the squash, you'll need a touch more flour than that.
Please note: if you decide to use fresh potatoes, you must completely OMIT the water from the recipe. Water should only be added in the version with potato flakes.
STEP ONE - making the dough
Combine roasted squash, water and potato flakes in a blender bowl, and process to a smooth paste. Stir in the flour, a bit at a time, until you end up with a non-sticky dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
STEP TWO - shaping the gnocchi
Divide the dough into 6-8 portions. Lightly flour the table or working surface and roll each piece into long sausage shapes about 1 cm (½ inch) 1 cm in diameter. Cut each sausage into 2-2.5 cm (1 inch) lengths, and roll each piece into a ball and against the back of a fork as shown in the pictures.
Place the gnocchi on a floured surface or kitchen towel.
Repeat for the rest of the dough.
STEP THREE - cooking the gnocchi
Bring to a boil 2 liters of salted water and gently dive in the gnocchi.
Wait until they come to the surface of the pan (normally a couple of minutes) and, with a slotted spoon, collect and drain the gnocchi.
Step four - making the sauce
For the sauce simply add the fats to a pan (butter + oil) with roughly chopped fresh sage leaves.
Cook on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes after it starts bubbling (or until the sage turns slightly crispy).
STEP FOUR - sautéing the gnocchi
Add the cooked gnocchi to the piping hot sauce, then pour in the white wine (optional) and allow the alcohol to evaporate for a couple of minutes.
Add a few tablespoons (up to ½ cup) of cooking water to the sauce, flick the pan with your wrist to a circular motion to help emulsify the sauce, tossing the gnocchi every now and then.
The sauce should turn to creamy and glossy, and evenly coating the gnocchi.
Serve the gnocchi immediately and enjoy!
Easy Butternut Squash Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients:
240 g Roasted Butternut Squash Pulp
125 g Potato Flakes
100 g Water
100 g Flour (+ more for dusting)
...for the sauce...
40 g Butter
10 g Olive Oil
1 Bunch Fresh Sage (6-8 big leaves)
30 g White Wine (Optional)
Cooking Water (up to ½ cup)
Method:
1. Combine roasted squash, water and potato flakes in a blender bowl, and process to a smooth paste. Stir in the flour, a bit at a time, until you end up with a non-sticky dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 6-8 portions. Lightly flour the table or working surface and roll each piece into long sausage shapes about 1 cm (½ inch) 1 cm in diameter. Cut each sausage into 2-2.5 cm (1 inch) lengths and roll each piece against the back of a fork. Place the gnocchi on a floured surface or kitchen towel.
Repeat for the rest of the dough.
3. Bring to a boil 2 liters of salted water and gently dive in the gnocchi.
Wait until they come to the surface of the pan (normally a couple of minutes) and, with a slotted spoon, collect and drain the gnocchi.
4. For the sauce simply add the fats to a pan (butter + oil) with roughly chopped fresh sage leaves. Cook on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes after it starts bubbling (or until the sage turns slightly crispy).
5. Add the cooked gnocchi to the piping hot sauce, then pour in the white wine (optional) and allow the alcohol to evaporate for a couple of minutes.
6. Add a few tablespoons (up to ½ cup) of cooking water to the sauce, flick the pan with your wrist to a circular motion to help emulsify the sauce, tossing the gnocchi every now and then. The sauce should turn to creamy and glossy, and evenly coating the gnocchi.
7. Serve the gnocchi immediately and enjoy with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or vegan grated cheese if you like.
If you, like me, adore butternut squash, do not miss these other recipes:
- Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
- Vegan Butternut Squash Wellington
- Vegan Christmas-y Lasagna
- Lentil & Squash Savoy Cabbage Rolls
- Roasted Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Oven Baked Pumpkin Risotto
- Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Giant Couscous Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Lentil & Squash Pie
- Vegan British Dumpling Stew
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