Butternut squash gnocchi served with melted butter and grated smoked ricotta is a typical dish of my region, Friuli Venezia Giulia.
I had the smoked ricotta delivered directly by my mother, during one of her visits to London 🙂 But don’t worry if you do not have it! A valid alternative, although not really a substitute, can be grated Parmigiano cheese.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Ingredients
Sauce
Instructions
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Clean and chop the butternut squash and steam it. I used a bamboo steamer. The steaming time was around 15 minutes. You'll know the butternut squash is ready when you are able to mash it with a fork.
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Transfer the cooked butternut squash in a large bowl and mash it with a fork. Let it cool down for 10 minutes.
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Add the egg, salt and grated nutmeg and mix all the ingredient with a whisk.
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Gradually add the flours and continue to whisk until all the ingredients are nicely combined. The dough should have the same consistency of a cake batter, and will, therefore, remain quite liquid.
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Bring the water to boil in a large pot. Salt it to taste.
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Using two teaspoons, form small quenelles of gnocchi dough and put them directly in the boiling water. This will require some patience, but don't worry if they do not look all perfect :)
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Try to not overcrowd the gnocchi in the pot. Leave the gnocchi boil for about 2 minutes after they start floating on the surface of the water. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon, draining them well, and transfer to a colander.
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Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the cooked gnocchi and toss them for 1 minute. Place the gnocchi in a place and grate the cheese on top. Serve hot.
