Cheesy Butternut Gnocchi Bake with Tuscan Kale
Pasta-lovers, can you resist a bowl of gnocchi? I can't. Now imagine that baked into cheesy goodness with some fresh Tuscan kale?
The cold months are prime time for casseroles, which I will continue to create dishes around. Try out my coconut artichoke and spinach bake for example - a riff off the classic dip you find in restaurants.
For this recipe, using butternut, I took one of my favourite kinds of pasta and paired it with one of the most familiar vegetables to me - kale! This loaded, creamy bake is perfect for dinner, a potluck, or simply to have on hand when you need a recipe like this.
Some people find it intimidating to make pasta at home, but gnocchi is relatively easy - it’s just a vegetable starch like a potato or a gourd such as butternut boiled or roasted, combined with flour, egg, and sometimes seasoning and cheese to make a soft dough. This dough is then cut, shaped, and boiled, and finally tossed in butter. Pretty simple right?
The rolling and cutting of the dough into pieces are what can take a bit of time, but you can always reserve some for another day!
Think of this as a mac and cheese version of gnocchi. Give it a try! It's quite filling so you won't need anything else to get full.
Ingredients
Gnocchi:
1 lb. butternut
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh sage
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Tuscan kale cheese bake:
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 spring onions. chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
Instructions
Prepare the gnocchi. Boil the chopped butternut until tender, for about 25-30 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a bowl. Combine with seasoning, parmesan cheese, egg, and flour.
Knead into a soft dough. Add extra flour if it is too sticky (but not too much otherwise your mixture will dry out).
On a lightly floured surface, transfer the dough and divide into 4-8 parts to make things more manageable.
Shape the dough into long rolls and cut into little 1/2 inch pieces, set aside until you have the desired amount. You can refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough, wrapped tightly in some cling wrap for later use.
Once all the gnocchi dough is prepped, rollover a fork to create a wedge in each piece. At this point, you can roll them up a little tighter if you prefer. Remember to flour the surface to prevent the dough from getting sticky again!
Boil a large pot of water and add the gnocchi in batches. Once they float to the top, they are done. Place the pasta in a colander.
In a large nonstick saucepan, add the butter, sage, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes until the sage leaves begin to wilt, and the butter is fragrant. Add the gnocchi and toss for about 4-5 minutes, set aside.
In a large pot, prepare your kale. Chop the bunch and add to salted boiling water for about 5 minutes until wilted. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan or pot add the butter and saute the onion for about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and mix into a thick consistency. Add the cream and the milk and mix, whisking if necessary to remove lumps. Add the shredded parmesan and white cheddar cheese and stir until both melts.
Season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust accordingly.
Mix the kale and gnocchi, then transfer to the cheesy roux. (You can add a bit of roux to the casserole dish before this step as you would with marinara sauce when making lasagna).
Pour the gnocchi mix into the baking dish, sprinkle with additional cheese and parsley, and bake at 400F for 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and served warm!
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Apple and Sage
Manhanga. That’s what we call pumpkin in my native tongue - or at least one of several gourds. It’s also the season to enjoy all types of gourds in the US - pumpkin, butternut, and acorn squash to name a few. Gnocchi may be an Italian dish, but I love it, and I think most of you on this page right now would agree! I had to apply a familiar ( and seasonal) addition other than the regular potato to this recipe. These dumplings when done right are soft, and typically tossed in a buttery, creamy, rich sauce before being served.
I add the apples for texture and to compliment the sage along with the pumpkin.
Not much is done with pumpkin in Zimbabwe, people usually boil it and season with a little salt. The leaves are also eaten - known as muboora, often mixed with peanut butter - and the seeds are dried and used as well.
This gnocchi is a satisfying, hearty recipe to be enjoyed for lunch or dinner with a glass of wine. You'll probably like it even more on a chilly day!
Ingredients
Roast pumpkin:
1 small sugar pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Gnocchi:
Mashed roast pumpkin
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour + extra for kneading (I used a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat)
4 tablespoons butter
2-4 tablespoons water
2-4 tablespoons light cream
2-4 tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 sprigs sage
1-2 apples
Instructions
Slice the pumpkin into quarters and remove the seeds and fibers. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with the spices, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin flesh is soft, remove from the oven to cool.
Mash the cooled pumpkin in a large bowl, then add the spices, salt, pepper, ricotta and parmesan cheese. Add the flour in parts, kneading with your fingers until it is workable enough to transfer to a cutting board or a hard, clean, floured surface. Add more flour if necessary and knead until you can form a soft, moldable dough. Divide it into four parts, then roll each one into long, thin logs. Cut them into small pieces and set aside.
Once you have all your cut gnocchi, you can roll and shape them against a fork in if you like.
In a large saucepan (depending on how much pasta you plan to serve immediately), add the butter and about 1/2 a diced apple. Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat until fragrant then set aside.
Boil some water in a large bowl then add the gnocchi. Do this in batches to give them space so they can cook evenly. Allow the gnocchi to boil until they float to the surface of the water. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb any excess water.
Put the saucepan back on the stovetop and add the sage, the pumpkin puree, the cream, water, olive oil, about 1 cup of the gnocchi. Saute until the gnocchi begins to brown (you’ll want to adjust the amount of water, puree and cream to create for the sauce, depending on how much you’d like!) You may have some extra gnocchi left over, so use more apple, sage and sauce to cook the rest.
Season with salt, chilli flakes and pepper, serve hot.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Coconut Shrimp
I love sweet potato and grew up calling it ‘mbambaira’, typically in boiled form. Boring! Sweet potato is extremely versatile and I understand the superfood much better now. Combine it with flour to make some easy homemade gnocchi. The dumplings can be combined with your choice of sauce and/or protein---in this case, coconut shrimp in a thickened red Thai curry sauce.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (drained for 2 hours)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 6-8 cups water
- 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon old bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions:
- Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes until softened and fully cooked. Allow to cool, remove the skin, and mash in a medium bowl.
- Add the ricotta and mix until combined well. Add the parmesan, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mash until well incorporated.
- Add the flour in three parts until a soft dough forms. Roll and knead on a lightly floured surface (add more flour if the dough is too sticky). Cut the dough into three parts and roll into 12-inch/30 cm long pieces the same thickness as your middle finger.
- Cut into ½ inch/1 cm pieces and press roll with a fork. Place the uncooked gnocchi on a baking trays with parchment paper.
- Boil the water and add salt to taste. Add the gnocchi in batches and cook for 6 minutes each or until they float to the top, placing the cooked gnocchi back on the parchment paper.
- Prepare the coconut shrimp. Cook the garlic in the oil and butter until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, curry paste, stock, salt, pepper, chili powder, and old bay. Stir in the cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 4 minutes until pinkish and no longer translucent. Finish with lemon juice and take the pan off the heat.
- Combine the gnocchi with the shrimp, serve hot. Garnish with sage and additional parmesan.
Calories
797Fat (grams)
49.33Carbs (grams)
57.97Protein (grams)
35.84