Friday, September 23, 2011

Butternut squash Gnocci

Well, we got our first Butternut Squash of the season on Wednesday.  We usually love to make a soup with them, but I wanted to try something different.  I decided to try making Butternut Squash Gnocci.  Since squash vary in size etc. there are no amounts for this recipe.

Butternut Squash Gnocci
1 Butternut Squash
AP Flour
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Olive Oil

The firs thing I did was split my squash in half, longways and scoop out the seeds.  I then rubbed the cut side with some olive oil and seasoned with Salt and Pepper.  I placed them on a baking sheet (cut side down) and roasted them in a 400 degree oven until soft.  Let them cool and scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash with a potato masher. 
Next I seasoned the puree with a bit of salt and pepper and some nutmeg.  I don't really like a lot of nutmeg so I only put a dash.  Feel free to adjust to your tastes.  I then transferred the mixture to my stand mixer and began slowly adding flour.  It takes a LOT.  I added it until the mixture began to pull away from the sides and form a dough.  I then turned it out onto a floured surface and kneaded it a few times.  I then pinched off parts of the dough and rolled them out into 3/4 inch ropes.  I cut them into 1/2" pieces and rolled them across the back of a fork and placed them on a floured baking sheet.  I then put the sheetpan in the freezer and froze until solid.  I packaged up the gnocci and put them back in my freezer for a later date.  Now how should I sauce my Gnocci?  Brown butter and sage?  Bolognese?  Not sure just yet. 
I hope these taste good as they are quite a lot of work.  I am afraid they might be a bit too doughy, but without a LOT of flour the dough was just WAY TOO STICKY.  I guess we'll find out when I cook them!

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