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:
- In a large bowl combine the flour with the xanthan gum and add butternut squash puree.
- 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.
- Once dough has formed and is not sticky work in the minced herbs and form into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a log. Then, pat it down to make a thick rectangle.
- 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.
- Gently roll each nugget into a small log and press the ends back in. They should look like fat tootsie rolls.
- 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.
- Once gnocchi floats to the top continue to boil gently for 5 to 8 minutes.
- 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
- In a small nonstick saucepan melt the butter.
- Stir in sage and cook on medium for 5 minutes or until it gets foamy.
- Remove from heat until ready to toss with gnocchi.
I love this!! Definitely going to try soon.
Great, I’m glad you like it! Please let me know how it turns out. It’s definitely messy using your hands but I think it’s easier to make sure the flour is thoroughly mixed in and it’s more fun. I would love to know what you decide to toss it in too. Have a wonderful St. Patricks Day!
I think I might make this and freeze them for during the week! I have tons of butternut squash to use – check out my butternut squash pasta sauce recipe here: http://milesforthought.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/pasta-with-white-beans-and-butternut-cream-sauce-gf-vegan/
Love it! Sounds yummy and simple.
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Reblogged this on Home of the Compassionate Tummies and commented:
I revisited one of my old recipes to make some changes and taken some desperately needed new photos. This gnocchi is now gluten-free and is tossed in a super simple sage butter sauce.