Gnocchi are ridiculously easy to make. Time-consuming, yes, but easy.
To be honest I like a good-quality bought potato gnocchi. Every once in awhile I sling a pack or two in the shopping trolley, knowing I am halfway to a quick meal. Maybe heating up a homemade sauce I have pulled from the freezer to ease my conscience. Or even just tarting up these usually blandly inoffensive little orbs with some butter, sage and chilli.
Bought gnocchi are not always a poor second to homemade either: many supermarkets do gnocchi that have recognisably food-like ingredients on the label {always a bonus!} – potatoes, flour, egg, salt, water. And any Italian deli worth its salt{ed almonds} often have flour-dusted trays of homemade gnocchi, just needing boiling and slathering in sauce to make a delectable comforting meal. But when I have time, or fancy adding a taste and nutrient boost to gnocchi, this kind of herb and colour-injected recipe does the trick.
I have found that adding things to a basic gnocchi recipe is always a bit of an experiment. In the summer and spring I have been known to make these pillowy sorrel-flecked ricotta gnocchi. But cooler weather demands a bit more heft.
Heft, however, doesn’t have to mean heavy. Once boiled these squash and sage gnocchi float and eat as well as the ricotta ones. But experience tells me that all squash or all anything other than potato is very tricky to pull off. Do set me straight if you know of a light, non-potato or non-ricotta and flour gnocchi.
The sauce I use is a vegan version of the spinachy Florentine sauce. Usually this is a greened-up white sauce, but here I have revamped my vegan Truffle ‘Cream’ Sauce from my Winter Vegetable Gratin, adding spicy Dijon, garlic and a little more nutritional yeast to balance the slight sweetness of the gnocchi. And a good wad of young spinach. :-)
If your family are not offended by green foods this would be a great family supper. Or you could leave out the spinach and whiz up the quick, one-step sauce without the spinach, serving wilted spinach on the side for those who want it. Or skip the sauce and pour over your own tomato sauce. I just fancied something creamy tasting but without the cream itself. The sauce can be used on any plain pasta or in a veggie bake to add a creamy moisture and slightly garlicky taste.
Have you been experimenting with gnocchi? Any tricks to share? What other comfort foods have you lightened up lately?
Squash and Sage Gnocchi with Vegan Florentine Sauce
The key to any potato-based gnocchi is to keep it dry: use floury potatoes, mash them up, and let the potatoes lose their steam. Also, resist adding any milk or butter or you will end up with tasty wallpaper paste! Here is a brilliant link for choosing the right potatoes for any use.
Although this is a from-scratch gluten-free gnocchi recipe – super easy, but takes time – you could use prepared potato gnocchi, adding roasted squash and shreds of sage before popping under the grill/broiler. And, just to say, that although adding egg does help with the ‘integrity’ of the gnocchi, it is very successful without the egg.
Gnocchi
400g (3 ¼ cups of ½ inch cubes) butternut squash or pumpkin, prepared weight
1 tbsp olive oil + a little extra for topping
½ tbsp chopped sage leaves + extra for top, about ½ tbsp.
1-2 small garlic cloves, peeled
500g (3 ½ cups) floury potatoes, peeled and cubed – I used King Edward
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk, optional
100g {7/8 cup} chestnut flour, spelt flour, or all-purpose plain flour + extra for rolling out
Vegan Florentine Sauce
200g {1 ½ cups} raw cashews + extra for topping {or use pine nuts for topping}
250ml {1 cup + 3 tbsp} water
pinch of salt
½ tsp white pepper
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard {more to taste}
pinch of turmeric {optional}
100g (about 4 packed cups} young spinach 
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line two baking trays with baking paper/wax paper and sprinkle lightly with flour of choice.
2. Toss the squash cubes in the oil and roast in an 180C/350F oven for 40 minutes, until soft.
3. Meanwhile, place the potato cubes in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender to the point of a knife – timing depends on the type of potato used. Drain well and let sit in the colander to release some of the steam. Mash the potatoes without added milk or butter. Cover with a tea towel to help absorb any residual steam. Set aside.
4. Pop the cooked squash, the ½ tbsp sage leaves and garlic in a blender or food processor, and whiz until smooth. 
5. Scrape out the squash puree and fold into the mashed potato. If you have a mouli or food mill, pass this mixture through {see image for the result}. This step gets the gnocchi extra fluffy and smooth, but is by no means necessary. Knead the egg yolk, if using, and the flour of your choice into the mixture, just until it comes together as a dough.
6. Sprinkle flour onto your work surface. Divide the mixture into two or three lumps and roll into long sausage shapes. The ‘dough’ is quite delicate so be gentle with it. Cut into 2 cm squares and press each piece lightly with the back of a fork. Transfer the pieces onto the baking paper and flour-lined baking trays, cover with a tea towel and place in the refrigerator or cool place while you make the sauce and boil the water.
7. For the Florentine sauce, place everything but the spinach into a blender or food processor. This is where a high-speed blender like a Froothie or Vitamix comes in handy for a very smooth sauce. Blend until as smooth as velvet then push in the spinach and process. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
8. Now get a pot of water on to boil and start to heat your grill/broiler.
9. When the water is ready, take the baking paper from one tray and immerse the whole thing into the boiling water – the gnocchi will slide right off. Pull out the paper and allow the water to come back up to the boil. The gnocchi are done when they float up to the surface – about two minutes. Drain and place into a shallow baking dish. Carry on with the remaining tray of gnocchi. I used a slotted wide spatula to pull my gnocchi out, but use a colander if you like – just be gentle. Slide them into the colander.
10. Take any remaining sage and toss with a little oil. Sprinkle this over the top. Add the chopped cashews or some pine nuts. Pop under the grill until the sauce begins to bubble a bit and the nuts and sage start to brown. Serve immediately. This also reheats well but the texture is a little soft.
Recipes From Others:
Tomato Aubergine Gnocchi Bake - Tinned Tomatoes
Polish Dumplings – Ren Behan for Jamie Oliver
