This Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash Gnocchi is a delicious fall dinner with homemade gnocchi, kale and caramelized onions.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butternut squash – the butternut squash is the best part of this recipe. You can skip the fresh gnocchi and make this recipe using regular potato gnocchi, cauliflower gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi.
- Olive oil – a neutral oil like sunflower oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil will work well as a substitute.
- Yellow onion – white onion, sweet onion or shallots can be used in place of yellow onion.
- Mushrooms – use any mushroom variety of your choice or leave out altogether if you don’t like mushrooms.
- Garlic – use fresh or jarred minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Kale – collard greens, spinach or arugula would also be good.
- Butter – substitute with a butter alternative of choice.
- Sage – marjoram or rosemary will provide a similar flavour.
Gnocchi
- Butternut squash puree – see substitution notes above.
- Nutmeg – mace, allspice or cinnamon would also work here.
- Parmesan cheese – use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavour. If you’re looking for a dairy-free substitute, nutritional yeast is a great option.
- Egg – try an egg substitute or eliminate the egg altogether.
- Flour – any gluten-free flour or rice flour can be used in this recipe.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
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How to make butternut squash gnocchi
Step 1: Boil and puree the squash.
Slice, peel and dice the squash. Cook in a large part of water, then drain the water and blend it until pureed.
Step 2: Make the dough.
Mix together the squash puree, nutmeg, salt, pepper, parmesan, egg and flour. Mix with your hands until it forms a soft dough.
Step 3: Cut the dough into gnocchi.
Break the dough into four parts, then roll each ball into ropes of dough. Slice the ropes of dough into pieces of gnocchi.
Step 4: Sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic.
Sauté the onion in a large skillet, then add the mushrooms and garlic.
Step 5: Cook the gnocchi.
Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water, then drain.
Step 6: Combine everything and serve.
Add the gnocchi to a skillet with the kale and butter. Stir in the chopped sage, top with grated parmesan and serve!
What to serve with butternut squash gnocchi
This dish is super filling and tastes amazing with some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. If you’re looking for more side dish options, here are some of my favourites:
- A nice fresh salad like this arugula salad
- Fresh crusty bread or homemade garlic bread
- Stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer before the main course
- Roasted veggies or garlic parmesan brussels sprouts
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes – you’ll need to boil the gnocchi in salted water for about 2-3 minutes before pan-frying it. You’ll know the gnocchi is done cooking when it floats in the water.
To make the butternut squash easier to cut into, you can stick it in the microwave for 2 minutes first. This should make it softer so it's easier to cut!
You can try making this butternut squash gnocchi gluten-free by using gluten-free flour. I personally haven't tried it, but you can give it a shot using your favourite kind of gluten-free flour.
You can make the dough 1-2 days in advance before cooking it. Just make sure to store it in the fridge. It should also freeze well in an airtight glass container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months – I'd suggest flash freezing the gnocchi on a sheet pan first to ensure the pieces don't stick together.
You'll only need 1 cup of the butternut squash puree for this recipe. The rest can be frozen for up to 3 months and used for other delicious butternut squash recipes, like this butternut squash ravioli bake, butternut squash soup or butternut squash stuffed shells.
Storing and reheating
If you have leftover gnocchi, you can store it in the fridge for 2-3 days – any longer and it may become mushy. When you're ready to enjoy your leftovers, heat them up in a pan on the stovetop for a few minutes or microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Top with some more fresh parmesan for the finishing touch!
Freezing the gnocchi
As you can tell from the instructions, making gnocchi is a lengthy process. It's definitely worth it, but if you're making homemade gnocchi, you might as well make extra and freeze it for later! Uncooked gnocchi freezes well on its own for up to 3 months. All you have to do is pop it out of the freezer and follow your recipe’s cooking instructions.
Note: You should only freeze uncooked gnocchi because cooked gnocchi will lose its texture and turn mushy in the freezer.
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More butternut squash recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- These glass meal prep bowls are so great for microwaving and reheating your food safely.
- Here's a pizza cutter that you can use to cut the gnocchi.
- A Y shaped vegetable peeler is the best way to peel squash.
- Vitamix is the best blender on the market and what I use.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups chopped mixed mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 3 tbsp chopped sage
Gnocchi
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour
Instructions
- Slice butternut squash in half, then peel off skin. Dice into 1-inch pieces, then cook for 12-15 min in a large pot of water. Drain water from squash, then blend in the Vitamix. Reserve 1 cup puree, and save the rest for later – it freezes well!
- Mix together squash puree, nutmeg, salt and pepper, parmesan cheese, egg and 1/3 cup of the flour. Keep adding flour in third cup measurements, mixing together with your hands as necessary. It should feel like a soft dough.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, then cook on med-low heat for 10-15 min.
- On a floured surface, break dough into four equal parts. Stretch and roll out each ball into thick ropes of dough, breaking in half and continuing to roll and thin out to 1-inch round ropes.
- Meanwhile, add mushrooms and garlic to the skillet of onions and cook for 5-7 min until all juices release.
- Arrange all ropes of dough in a row then slice into 1-inch thick pieces of gnocchi using a pizza cutter or knife. Cook gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2-3 min. Gnocchi should be floating when finished cooking.
- Drain then add to skillet along with kale and butter, cooking for 2-3 min. Stir in chopped sage then remove from heat.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy! Gnocchi freezes well on its own up to three months and can be made ahead of time too!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Mar says
This looks AMAZING! I have a squash currently sitting on my counter, so I may give this one a try. Thanks for hosting this giveaway, my fingers are crossed. I’ve always wanted a Vitamix but the price tag scares me away. I’d love to use it to make my favourite soups in the winter and fall, and I’m sure it would help when I need to restock the freezer with homemade baby food for the little one too!
Maddie says
Yum! Can you make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Maddie – yes you totally can! I would say don’t make it any more than one or two days ahead of time though! The pre-cooked dough should also freeze well!
Trudy says
Taylor I LOVE this! Gnocchi is one of my fav foods and I seriously can’t get enough of pumpkin right now. I bought 3 cans over the weekend with grand aspirations that have yet to be uncovered until now lol
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
Butternut squash gnocchi, sooo good! Great job, Taylor, I’m Italian, I can recognize a good plate of gnocchi 😉 . I’m getting hungry!!
Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
This looks incredible Taylor, I’ve never made gnocchi before but I do love it and this flavour combination sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it!
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks so much Fida! I honestly don’t care much for store bought gnocchi – it’s so much better homemade 🙂
Robyn Gleason says
Oh my gosh, Taylor, your photos are mouth-watering! I just want to do a face plant in all of that deliciousness 🙂
What fun it’s been to join in with such talented foodies as yourself. Happy Friendsgiving, Neighbour!
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks so much Robyn!!! It’s been SO much fun collaborating with you for these Friendsgiving recipes! Now I just need to go make everyone’s delicious looking food 😀