Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, halved lengthwise, seeds and fibers removed
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
Balsamic Brown Butter:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons chiffonade fresh sage
- Salt
Garnishes:
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- Shaved Parmesan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Rub the cut slices of the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the white pepper. Set the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the squash and place in a large bowl, discarding the skin. Mash into a chunky puree with a potato masher, then let cool, about 15 minutes.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, oregano, chopped sage and nutmeg, and work into the warm squash. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and using your hands, work into a smooth, soft dough. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms into a long rope, about 3/4-inch thick. If the rope won't hold together, return it to the bowl with the remaining dough and work in more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed. Cut each rope of dough into 3/4-inch long pieces. Press each piece against the tines of a floured fork, then drop into the lightly floured surface. (Gnocchi also can be placed in a single layer on a lightly floured baking sheet and refrigerated for several hours. Alternately, the gnocchi can be frozen for 1 hour then transferred to an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month.)
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt to a low boil.
Add the gnocchi in batches and cook just until they float to the top, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (or 3 minutes for frozen gnocchi.)
For the Balsamic Brown Butter: In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown bits form and it has a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the shallots, balsamic vinegar, and sage. Stir well. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and dry on towels. Transfer to a large serving dish and gently toss to coat with the balsamic butter. Garnish with black pepper, parsley, chives, and shaved Parmesan
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By lstewar4
Ithaca, NY
on December 18, 2012
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I liked it.. Made a few changes such as using delicata squash and adding bacon to the final plating. I also just eyeballed a sauce with much less butter, more shallots, a splash of balsamic, salt, pepper, and sage. Since I made changes I couldn't give it a 5, but this was a pretty fast dinner considering i was making gnocchi, and we both loved the finished product.
By maryannenigro_7...
New York, NY
on October 10, 2012
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The trick to these is as one poster states - to let the squash cool. If you attempt to blend in the flour while it is hot you will end up using way more flour and your gnocchi will be tough instead of light. I also baked and riced a russet potato to give the gnocchi a bit of body. Instead of balsamic I used a simple brown butter and sage to serve. Delish!
By kylesong
on October 08, 2012
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It was a good starting point type of recipe to figure out the basic mechanics of gnocchi. However, I think roasting the squash at 425 for an hour makes for better texture in the end. That's the way I usually roast squash, so I was pretty suspicious about using only 375 degrees as stated in the recipe. I probably ended up using around 4 cups of flour, and I think the addition of olive oil was somewhat useless. For more pop I would use lemon zest and basil in the dough. It's good with just some parmesan, freshly ground pepper, and garlic-infused olive oil.
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