Herbed Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Gosh, I have so many recipes piled up from my break I wasn’t sure which one to share first. Then I remembered that Thursday is the first day of Spring so I better post this recipe since butternut squash isn’t going to be in season for much longer. This was an experiment for me. I have never made nor have I even tasted fresh gnocchi before. I knew I wanted it to be special, not just a plain old generic recipe.

I remembered seeing a sweet potato gnocchi and a carrot gnocchi so I thought butternut squash would yield a similar result. My next thought was I wanted them to be flavorful so that they could be the star in whatever dish you add them to. The first time I made these I added them in a yellow split pea soup I made. That was a mistake.

This time I thought they would be great tossed in a simple brown butter sauce (using Earth Balance, of course) or maybe even a vegan Alfredo. Definitely nothing too overpowering or heavy so that I could enjoy them for what they are instead of the sauce they’re in. I went with a sage butter sauce to complement the herbs in the gnocchi. That recipe is at the end.

Herbed Butternut Squash Gnocchi

(vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free)

Serves 2 to 4

Notes for using fresh butternut squash:

• you will need a 1.25 pound butternut squash
• roast in 1″ of water at 425 degrees for 30 minutes
• after it cools completely scoop out and mash until it’s smooth with no lumps

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree, fresh or canned
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 sprig rosemary, removed from stem and minced
• 10 sprigs thyme, removed from stem and minced
• 1 tablespoon salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the flour with the xanthan gum and add butternut squash puree.
2. Using your hands work in the flour until smooth. Mix until a dough forms. It should not be dry nor should it be sticking to your hands.
3. Once dough has formed and is not sticky work in the minced herbs and form into a ball.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a log. Then, pat it down to make a thick rectangle.
5. Using a dough cutter, or another tool that would work just as well, cut dough into 4 lengthwise strips. Then, make several perpendicular cuts making small nuggets.
6. Gently roll each nugget into a small log and press the ends back in. They should look like fat tootsie rolls.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Once boiling add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Slowly drop in gnocchi while stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
8. Once gnocchi floats to the top continue to boil gently for 5 to 8 minutes.
9. Drain in a colander and toss in the sage butter sauce. Enjoy!

Sage Butter Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1. In a small nonstick saucepan melt the butter.
2. Stir in sage and cook on medium for 5 minutes or until it gets foamy.
3. Remove from heat until ready to toss with gnocchi.