Butternut Squash Gnocchi

by

Making gnocchi is an act of love In Italy, where it got its start. This tradition hails from the 16th century (maybe even earlier) and has been a staple of Northern Italians ever since. Traditionally gnocchi after being cut, is rolled on a board with raised slats to give its distinctive shape. In this recipe however, we skip this step as the gnocchi are a bit too fragile to handle this imprinting. Gnocchi is also usually boiled to initially cook it, and placed in an ice bath after leaving the boiling water. Later, when ready for serving, the gnocchi are pan seared and usually tossed in a sauce. 

When I worked as a sous chef, my main responsibility was the sauté station when it came time for dinner service. A staple on our menu? You guessed it, gnocchi! I made fresh potato or sweet potato gnocchi almost every day, and made about 30 serving batches at a time. As you would imagine, with all that practice I got pretty good. While this SCD friendly version draws on principles and techniques I learned, it has been modified to accommodate the delicate nature of substitute flours. The flavor and textures however, remain almost the same! Something that took some tinkering, but I am very proud of. I know you and your family will love this recipe as much as mine! Enjoy a picture of me making gnocchi as a Sous back in the day!  

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Serves 4
Prep: 1 hour                                                                                                                                                           
Cooking : 20 min                                                                                                                                                                                                             Total: 1 hour 20 min
Intermediate

Ingredients:

For Gnocchi: 

1 lb. Butternut Squash, peeled, roasted, and pureed 

⅔ Cup Gruyere or Parmesan, finely grated (plus extra for serving) 

4 Large eggs  

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. cinnamon 

1 tsp. Salt 

2 Cups almond flour 

½ Cup coconut flour 

 

For cooking: 

4 Cloves of garlic, minced 

1 shallot, diced 

2 Tbsp. Ghee or dairy free replacement 

Cashew Basil Pesto, 1 recipe worth  

Basil, a few sprigs for serving

Salt, TT

Black pepper, TT 

      Method Of Prep:

  1. Gather and prep ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Break down the butternut squash by cutting off both ends. Next, peel the squash and stand up on end. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut squash into large chunks and coat with olive oil.
  3. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until soft all the way through.
  4. Remove and cool slightly.
  5. Set up your high-speed blender, and add squash. Puree until smooth.
  6. In a medium bowl add squash puree, grated cheese, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
  7. Mix together until incorporated.
  8. Add in flours and continue to mix. Once it has come together, being able to be formed into a ball, use a 50/50 mix of almond and coconut flour to dust over your work surface to continue to make the gnocchi.
  9. Turn out the squash mix onto your floured surface. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into two equal size pieces.
  10. Cover remaining dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying.
  11. Gently roll the dough pieces into long snakes, about a nickel in width. Sprinkle with more flour mix if needed. 
  12. Using a bench scraper or knife cut vertically into about 1-inch pieces.
  13. Carefully place pieces on a floured sheet tray (using the 50/50 flour mix).

  14. While cutting the gnocchi, preheat the oven to 325°F. Once all the gnocchi are cut gently toss in extra flour on sheet tray to lightly coat each piece. This will keep the moisture inside while baking, and help the gnocchi hold its shape.
  15. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F to ensure the egg is cooked. Do not cook past this temp, as the gnocchi will quickly start to dry out.
  16. Remove from the oven.
  17. Gather and prepare other ingredients for sautéing.
  18. In a large sauté pan add ghee, garlic, and shallots.
  19. Sauté until translucent 2-3 minutes.
  20. Add in gnocchi and allow to brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Do not cook for more than 2-3 minutes per side, they are very delicate and will start to fall apart.
  21. Add in cashew basil pesto and toss to coat and warm.
  22. Top with grated gruyere and a few fresh leaves of basil.
  23. Serve immediately and enjoy!   

                            

Nutrition Facts:(Excluding Pesto)  
Calories- 687
Carbs- 24.6 g
Fat- 48.6 g
Protein- 34.2 g