Monday, October 21, 2013

Butternut Squash Gnocchi


I am loving butternut squash this fall and this is one of my favorite recipes so far.  I make gnocchi with leftover mashed potatoes fairly often but this is my first time using squash.  I must say, these are my favorite I've ever made-the texture was perfect.

--Instructions--

Clean off your butternut squash and stab a few holes all over it. Place in an oven preheated to 375 and bake for an hour, until soft. Remove from oven and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds. Scoop the flesh out of the skin into a bowl. One very small squash made all the gnocchi in the photo above.

Mash the flesh and add a pat or two of Earth Balance and a splash of unsweetened original almond milk to smooth out the texture. You're just smoothing, don't thin it out too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Begin gently mixing in flour, I use King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour, little by little. You want the dough to just come together. It is right when you can pick up a chunk of dough and roll it into a thin log. Make several logs with your dough, flouring your hands as needed. 

With the log on a surface, take the side of a fork and cut each gnocchi. I like to go back and carefully press the fork on each gnocchi to create texture. Your sauce will better attach to this.

At this point I like to put my gnocchi on a plate (sometimes I cut them on a plate) and place them in the fridge for a bit. You can also freeze them flat, on a cookie sheet, bag, and freeze for later.

Too cook: throw the gnocchi in some boiling water. When they float to the top, they're done. Only takes a couple of minutes.


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This time, I enjoyed my gnocchi with mushrooms and red onions in a sage butter sauce.  In a pan over medium to medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance. Melt (if you're using actual butter, let it brown a bit, you'll thank me) and add in some sage. Half a teaspoon or so.  Throw in sliced mushrooms and onions or whatever veggies you're in the mood for and let them get soft. 

Now you can add your cooked gnocchi. Stir everything together, add some fresh chopped Italian parsley and cracked black pepper. Plate and sprinkle on some vegan Parmesan cheese. Enjoy. 

This is a very "eye it" recipe so feel free to comment with any questions.




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