by Ryan 3 Comments
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links.Please read my disclosure.
With just a few ingredients, you can make homemade butternut squash gnocchi that is tossed in a delicious brown butter sage sauce. Talk about fall comfort food.
I'm a fan of gnocchi - from gnocchi carbonara to baked ricotta gnocchi.
There are two things during the fall that I'm all about - butternut squash and gnocchi. Well I'm about homemade gnocchi year round but I figured why not combine the two!
RecipeTin Eats actually inspired me with her pumpkin gnocchi. Homemade gnocchi is one of those things that is surprisingly easy, it just takes some time to make. To me it is totally worth it though when compared to store-bought. Plus when you make it at home, you can create something like this butternut squash and sage gnocchi.
I've used homemade gnocchi many times when friends/family have come over. It's a great recipe to impress your guests! So if you're like me and craving some butternut squash this time of year, you can never go wrong with butternut squash gnocchi.
Jump to:
- Ingredient Notes
- Ingredient Swaps
- Step-by-Step Photos
- FAQs
- Benefits of Butternut Squash
- Side Dish Options
- Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Other Gnocchi Recipes
- Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut squash - adds sweet and earthy undertones with hints of nuttiness to the gnocchi.
- Egg - important in binding the gnocchi together.
- Ricotta - helps act as a binder and also keeps the gnocchi light and pillowy.
- All-purpose flour - you want to add just enough so the dough comes together.
- Unsalted butter - by browning the butter, you add a nutty flavor which complements the gnocchi and makes for a great sauce.
- Sage - when I think of fall, sage is the herb that comes to mind and is enhanced by cooking in the butter.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe you can swap out some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I use butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes are good substitutes.
- Ricotta cheese is great for gnocchi, but cottage cheese or even goat cheese are good substitutes.
- I'm a fan of sage as the prominent herb flavor, but rosemary or thyme work great as well.
- While not a substitute, if I want some protein, pancetta is my go-to.
Step-by-Step Photos
First, roast the butternut squash at 425°F in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Cool it down and then scoop out the flesh and mash with a potato masher. You can also puree in a food processor.
Place in a bowl with the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, salt and nutmeg. Mix until combined and then add flour ½ cup at a time, until just mixed.
Now mix until you can form a ball. The dough should be sticky still. Cut into 4-6 equal pieces.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll and stretch into a rope that is about 1 inch thick. Cut 1 inch wide pieces and transfer to a baking sheet with some flour so they don't stick.
Boil the gnocchi until they float and then transfer to a large skillet over medium-high heat with some oil. Pan-fry for 2 minutes to get it crispy. Remove from the skillet.
Add the butter and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage, cooking for 30 seconds before adding in the gnocchi.
FAQs
Can I Use Pumpkin?
Yes. They great thing about this butternut squash gnocchi recipe is you can easily used canned pumpkin as well.
Pumpkins and butternut squash are part of the same food family (squash) so are pretty interchangeable when it comes to recipes.
Can I Add Meat?
Yes. In fact most times I add some type of pork, usually pancetta or prosciutto. I just pan fry it until it is crispy and toss with the gnocchi.
How Do I Know When the Butter is Browned?
Add the butter to theskilletover medium heat. Once the butter is melted, it will foam up and then subside.
This is when you watch carefully as lightly browned specks will start to form at the bottom of the pan. You will know the butter is ready when there is a nutty aroma. I suggest watching thisvideoif you are still concerned.
Can I Freeze Gnocchi?
Yes. Once the butternut squash gnocchi is cut and placed on a baking sheet, just put in the freezer for an hour before transferring to a bag.
When you are ready to cook, it will take slightly longer to float but will still be ready quickly.
Benefits of Butternut Squash
Like many vegetables, butternut squash comes with a ton ofbenefits, including:
- High in nutrients but low in calories
- Rich in vitamins and minerals
- Contains disease-fighting antioxidants
Side Dish Options
This gnocchi is rich and filling, so I prefer to have some veggies. Some options include:
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Broccoli
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Add just enough flour. Let me be clear. While most times, you need 2 cups of flour for this recipe, there are times you need slightly more or slightly less. Every butternut squash is different in moisture content which is what controls the amount of flour you use. Use either a wooden spoon or your hands to mix in the flour until just incorporated and where the dough forms a loaf. It should be a soft dough.
- Don't overmix. Just like anything with flour, if your overmix or knead too much, you'll get a tougher gnocchi. It won't be soft and pillowy. You want to mix until it just comes together.
- Don't make them perfect. Gnocchi doesn't have to be perfect shapes or have ridges. Mine never look exactly the same but they taste great! Also you can skip the ridges. It's time consuming and not worth the effort.
- Sprinkle with flour when cutting and transporting. Gnocchi can get sticky if there isn't flour sprinkled on it. As I'm rolling out the dough to cut and then cut into gnocchi and then transfer to a sheet, I sprinkle with flour to make sure it doesn't stick. Learn from me as I didn't do this in the past.
- Boil until they float. When cooking gnocchi, boil it until they float and then remove and add to a sauce.
Other Gnocchi Recipes
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pesto
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Gnocchi
- Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce
If you’ve tried this butternut squash gnocchi recipeor any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
With just a few ingredients, you can make homemade gnocchi with butternut squash that is tossed in a delicious brown butter sage sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 482kcal
Author: Ryan Beck
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
- 1 lb butternut squash
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Brown Butter Sage Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place cut side up on baking sheet and brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Let cool then scoop out flesh. Mash with potato masher or place in food processor and puree until smooth.
Place butternut squash in large bowl. Add in the ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese, salt and nutmeg and mix until combined. Add in flour ½ cup at a time. Mix until just combined and you form a ball. Do not over knead, otherwise it will be tough. The dough should be sticky.
Flour a clean surface and place the dough there. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll and stretch the dough until it forms a long skinny rope, about 1 inch thick. Cut about 1 inch wide and then transfer to a baking sheet, making sure each gnocchi is covered in flour so they don't stick to each other.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float, which should be about 3-4 minutes. Drain and toss with some olive oil so they don't stick.
Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi and pan-fry on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. You will have to do this in batches if you can't have gnocchi in single later. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In same skillet, bring heat to medium and add butter. Cook until the butter is browned and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and sage and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the gnocchi, so it's coated.Serve immediately with some Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Add just enough flour. Let me be clear. While most times, you need 2 cups of flour for this recipe, there are times you need slightly more or slightly less. Every butternut squash is different in moisture content which is what controls the amount of flour you use. Use either a wooden spoon or your hands to mix in the flour until just incorporated and where the dough forms a loaf. It should be a soft dough.
- Don't overmix. Just like anything with flour, if your overmix or knead too much, you'll get a tougher gnocchi. It won't be soft and pillowy. You want to mix until it just comes together.
- Don't make them perfect. Gnocchi doesn't have to be perfect shapes or have ridges. Mine never look exactly the same but they taste great! Also you can skip the ridges. It's time consuming and not worth the effort.
- Sprinkle with flour when cutting and transporting. Gnocchi can get sticky if there isn't flour sprinkled on it. As I'm rolling out the dough to cut and then cut into gnocchi and then transfer to a sheet, I sprinkle with flour to make sure it doesn't stick. Learn from me as I didn't do this in the past.
- Boil until they float. When cooking gnocchi, boil it until they float and then remove and add to a sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 9900IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 890mg | Iron: 1mg
Did You Try This Recipe?I love seeing what you make so mention @ChiselandFork or tag #chiselandfork on Instagram and please give a star rating below!
More Pasta Recipes
- Spaghetti alla Nerano
- Tagliatelle Pesto
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Ragu Bianco
Reader Interactions
Comments
Chris says
Love me some gnocchi!Reply
Marion says
Adapted to use what I had on hand: I used mozzarella instead of Parmesan, and frozen butternut squash. Had to add about 1/3 more flour because very wet. I roasted the whole batch with sliced ham+garlic+lard+olive oil in my ninja foodii instead of a separate butter sauce ... Very very yummy.
Reply
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed!
Reply
