For Lidia Bastianich, Emmy award-winning public television host, best‐selling cookbook author, and successful restaurateur, food has a spiritual meaning – with the power to bring back memories of our past and loved ones. Lidia often reminisces on her childhood in Pola, Italy, where she learned to cook from her grandmother Rosa. Some of her favorite comfort foods? Fresh pasta, soup and homemade bread (to name a few).
And for the perfect holiday meal, Lidia Bastianich likes to make her signature first course of Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Sage Butter Sauce. She also recommends it because you can make, shape and freeze the gnocchi ahead of time. Follow her original recipe below, with one important tip from the chef: “Once the gnocchi are frozen solid, they can be frozen in plastic freezer bags until ready to use. When boiling frozen gnocchi, make sure you use lots of water so it will come back to a boil quickly; otherwise the gnocchi may clump together.”
Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Sage Butter Sauce by Lidia Bastianich
(Gnocchi di Zucca con Salvia e Burro)
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main course
Ingredients:
For the gnocchi
1 lb. butternut squash (or ½ medium-sized squash)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium russet potatoes (about 12 ounces)
¼ cup freshly grated Grana Padano cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
For the sage butter sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Grana Padano cheese, plus more for serving
Butternut Squash Gnocchi (ph Jennifer May)
Method:
To make the gnocchi, preheat the oven to 400°F. Scoop the seeds out from the squash, and transfer it to a baking pan (with the cut side facing up). Drizzle with olive oil and bake until tender throughout (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Let cool.
Once the squash has cooled, scrape out the pulp and transfer it to a cheesecloth. Let it hang or sit in a colander in the refrigerator to drain its excess juice (for about 2 hours total). You should have about ¾ - 1 cup of squash.
Cook the potatoes until tender in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover (about 20-25 minutes). Then drain the potatoes and let them cool until you can peel them with your hands. Once peeled, press the potatoes through a ricer into an even layer on a clean work surface. Let cool completely. (You should end up with about 2 cups of potatoes.) Pass the drained squash through the ricer, as well.
In a large bowl, combine the squash, potatoes, grated cheese, egg, salt, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth. Sprinkle in 1 ¼ cups of the flour, stirring to combine. Then turn the dough out onto the work surface, and knead it with your hands until it comes together. If the dough is still sticky, add the remaining ¼ cup flour (or more, if your squash was very wet), and knead just until smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Divide the dough into eight equal sections. Line two large baking sheets lined with parchment. Sprinkle parchment lightly with flour. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough out on a floured surface for a ½-inch thick rope. Cut the rope cross-wise into ¾–inch pieces.
Working with one piece at a time, roll the gnocchi along the back of the tines of a fork dipped in flour, making ridges on 1 side and a small dimple on the other. Transfer the gnocchi to the floured baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Once you’re ready to cook the gnocchi, make the sage butter sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook just until they start to get crispy and the butter is just beginning to brown (about 1 minute). Add 1 cup of the pasta water and bring it to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 3-4 minutes).
In the meantime, cook the gnocchi in two batches in the boiling water, letting them cook for just a couple minutes more after they all float to the surface. Remove the gnocchi from the water using a slotted spoon, adding them immediately to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, but be careful not to overdo it since the pasta water is already salty. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss and serve – with an extra helping of grated cheese at the table, of course!