These gnocchi are great with the “standard” brown butter with sage, but adding hazelnuts for depth and a little crunch make these memorable. A light tomato sauce with garlic would also be a good pairing.
INGREDIENTS:
2 to 2½ cups roasted butternut squash, around 1 medium (See recipe for Basic Roasted Winter Squash, dispensing with the sage leaves and cook until tender but try not to brown the squash much.) 1 large egg, whisked 1½ to 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup for dusting -OR- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 1 to 1½ cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup for dusting salt and pepper to taste -Optional- (For optional sautéing step) Olive oil and butter as needed
For the Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 10 sage leaves black pepper to taste -Optional- ¼ to ½ cup toasted, peeled, and chopped hazelnuts
METHOD:
Put the cooked squash through a food mill or ricer, and mill into a large bowl.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
Season the squash well with salt and some pepper over all, and stir in the egg until just mixed in. Sprinkle 1½ cups flour or the cheese and 1 cup flour into the squash and stir together just until mixed. If the mixture is really wet, add some flour a small amount at a time until it will hold its shape while still being fairly soft.
Place the dusting flour into a wide dish like a casserole dish or lipped ¼-sheet baking pan and position next to the squash.
Using a spoon to scoop from the edge of the mixture, scoop up 1-inch bits of “dough” (around ¾ of a tablespoon) and drop them into your loosely cupped palm. Roll them in a circular motion to ovalize them and then put them into the flour, rolling them about to coat them all over and then shaking off the excess and placing them on a parchment lined sheet pan. Do this, without crowding or allowing the gnocchi to touch, until all are formed, or until you notice that the gnocchi are absorbing the flour and getting gummy. If they are getting gummy, cease shaping and start cooking. If you wish, you can gently roll each gnocchi across the tines of a fork to give it lines that will hold sauce, or give each one a light dimple using a thumb or finger for the same effect.
To cook the gnocchi, drop some into the boiling water (being sure not to crowd them or dropping in so many that the water temperature drops off and the water stops boiling), and cook until they are tender and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. When they float to the surface, they are done. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish or bowls. Keep warm.
(If you wish, you can serve the gnocchi now, as is, with the sauce, or do this next step, which gives the gnocchi a crisp exterior with a soft inside.) While the gnocchi are cooking, heat your largest sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add olive oil to coat well and add a 1-2 tablespoons butter for flavor. When foaming, add the gnocchi without crowding the pan too much and sauté the gnocchi to crisp them up. Do this in batches if need be.
Meanwhile-Make the Sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until fragrant and the each leaf has darkened all over and they are no longer quite pliable. Remove the leaves to a paper towel and reserve. Continue heating the butter until it turns a little darker and gives off a nutty aroma. Remove a cup of water from the gnocchi cooking pot, and add ¼ cup of it to the sage-butter and swirl it around in the pan. Cook until it starts to thicken, then add a little more. Reduce the mixture, and add a ¼-cup more water. Do this until the butter and water form a sauce-like consistency, and pour this over the cooked gnocchi.
Scatter the fried sage leaves over the sauced gnocchi and serve hot.
Chef’s Notes:
You can skip the butter sauce and use other sauces if you wish. Just keep it fairly light as these are more delicate in flavor and texture than potato gnocchi. Try the Aurora Sauce, using the added water version for lightness (See recipe).
If you want to freeze these, it is easy enough. Make a batch and place on a lightly floured parchment-lined sheet pan and place in the freezer. Once frozen, place in a zipper bag and get out the air and freeze. To cook, just put into boiling water and cook as above.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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