When I tell people I don’t like gnocchi,
I always have to clarify that I’m talking about the traditional,
potato-dough style dumplings, and not the much easier and lighter,
cheese-based versions, like this one featuring butternut squash and
mascarpone cheese.
Unless created by the hands of a true
master, traditional potato gnocchi are too often dense, gummy nuggets of
disappointment. However, as temperamental as the classic recipe is,
these cheesier, low-starch versions are really quite simple.
These are often made with drained
ricotta, and you are welcome to substitute, but here we’re going with
mascarpone, a very rich and luscious Italian-style cream cheese. Along
with Parmigiano-Reggiano, all you need besides the cheese is some cooked
squash, and just enough egg and flour to keep it all together.
Once your mixture is done, and you let
it firm up overnight, you have a few options as far as final service.
You can follow the spoon-boil-fry-serve method seen herein, or you can
do the spoon-boil part ahead of time, and then fry in the sage butter
when ready.
If you do want to make these ahead,
simply fish them out of the boiling water as they’re cooked, draining
well, and place on a plastic-wrapped sheet pan to cool. Once cooled to
room temperature, they can be carefully wrapped up (in a single layer),
and kept in the fridge for at least a day, until you’re ready to crispy
up in the butter.