Butternut Squash Gnocchi + Browned Butter + Fried Sage

I. love. pasta. So so much. Especially when said pasta is (*swoon*) handmade. Big fan. There’s absolutely nothing like it. The texture alone makes the effort so completely worth it. It’s soft, it’s chewy, it’s – dare I say – positively pillowy. It’s comforting and satisfying in a way that no other food can match, not to mention it’s a tasty little vehicle for all kinds of sauciness. That’s why when Jenn Louis’ Pasta By Hand ended up in my crosshairs during an otherwise uneventful Williams-Sonoma drop-by, it had not a shot in hell of escaping my clutches.

This cookbook is my absolute favorite kind: a collection of recipes handed down through the generations by people who know their shit in the kitchen. And if those recipes just happen to be Italian, to boot?? Fuggedaboutit!

This book is bomb. Not only does it give you time-tested culinary pearls broken down by region (bonus: now you know what to order the next time you take a jaunt around Italy), it makes executing each and every one of these heritage recipes simple and straightforward through effective, approachable instruction and super helpful step-by-step photos.

This squash gnocchi is one of my faves thus far. It’s got character, both in flavor and wonky charm. The distinctive gnocchi grooves serve a dual purpose: 1) they just look cool, and 2) they soak up that sauce like nobody’s beeswax. I used a gnocchi board to get my groove on, but you could even use the back of the tines of a fork in a pinch.

Someone who doesn’t know any better might judge this book by its deceptively simple cover and ignorantly assume that it may lack in flavor. Well, that person would be tragically mistaken…and we’d really have to endure some intensive therapy to repair our friendship. Anyone who knows me knows that I am 98% sure I was Italian in another life, and I bleed browned butter, so maybe I could be considered “biased”, but this is by far one of the absolute tastiest things I’ve ever laid tongue on. The toasty depth of singed, lightly salted, sage-infused euro-style butter harbored in the greedy little ridges of warm, earthy squash-spiked dumplings is positively orgasmic.

Who needs a vibe when there’s handmade gnocchi??

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Butternut Squash Gnocchi + Browned Butter + Fried Sage

This is one of the most insanely nummy things I've ever tasted. Insane. There is absolutely nothing like homemade pasta. This is pillowy soft and sooo simple, yet flavorful. It's literally one of the best things I've ever eaten, everrrrrrrrrrrr. Ever. You can even make the gnocchi in advance and store it in the fridge, covered, for up to two days before cooking it. Then all you'd have to do at dinnertime is boil some water and make the sauce. Perfetto!

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Servings

servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• Squash Puree:
• 1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded + chopped into cubes
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Gnocchi:
• 1/2 cup + 5 tbsp squash puree
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup semolina flour plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• Browned Butter + Fried Sage:
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• sea salt to taste

Servings servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Squash Puree: 1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded + chopped into cubes 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Gnocchi: 1/2 cup + 5 tbsp squash puree 2 eggs 1 cup semolina flour plus more for dusting 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour plus more for dusting Browned Butter + Fried Sage: 3/4 cup unsalted butter 12 fresh sage leaves sea salt to taste

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Instructions

1. To make the squash puree:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the olive oil with the squash, and spread in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cook until tender, 25-35 minutes, then puree in a food processor.
3. To make the gnocchi:
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix 1/2 cup + 5 tbsp of the squash puree, eggs, semolina flour and all-purpose flour for about 10 minutes or so, until fully combined and smooth. Cover the dough and let rest at room temp for 30 minutes. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with semolina. Cut off a chunk of dough about the width of two fingers, and roll into a 1/2 inch log on a floured work surface. Cut the log into 1/2-inch pieces, then with the side of your thumb, gently push each piece against a gnocchi board (or the back of the tines of a fork), rolling the dough to make a curled shape with an indentation on one side and a ridged surface on the other. (You'll get the hang of it after a few tries.) Put the gnocchi on the prepped baking sheets and repeat the process with the remaining dough. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi, cooking until they float to the surface, a couple minutes or so. Remove with a slotted spoon.
5. To make browned butter + fried sage:
6. In a medium saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the butter and the sage and let cook until it browns, 5-10 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt.
7. Add gnocchi to the pan, tossing with the browned butter, and serve warm.