Butternut Gnocchi with Lemon Sage Butter

I can't find where I got this recipe from... but it is a keeper.

Serves 4 to 6 (I'd say 4)

Gnocchi

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into large chunks

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grounded

Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whole fresh sage leaves

zest of 1 lemon, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1. Cook squash in boiling water until tender (I steamed mine vs boiling)

2. Gently puree squash by pressing through a sieve or gently mashing with a potato masher (I used a potato ricer and it made things super easy)

3. Put puree into large sauce pan with 2 tbsp butter. Cook gently, stirring until the squash has dried a bit. Then remove from heat.

4. Add the flour, yolk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until combined and the dough forms a soft ball. You might need to add more flour (I did) if it's sticky.

5. Knead a few times on a floured board and let rest 10 minutes or so.

6. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Cut the gnocchi in strips about as wide as your index finger. Roll the strip in flour to coat. Cut each strip into a bit-sized piece.

7. Roll the piece down a fork, pressing lightly with your finger (I skipped this step - it is purely for aesthetics)

8. Put a large pot of water onto boil.

9. As the water heats, make the sauce by melting the butter in a small sauce pan along with the sage. Simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest (I skipped lemon zest as I didn't have any)

10. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water, adding only a few at a time so the water doesn't cool.

11. When the gnocchi is done, it rises to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.

12. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Verdict: tasty! The boys love this dish. Only deviations I made from the recipe were to use 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (I could probably even use 1 cup white whole wheat, 1/2 cup white next time and see how it goes) and not using the lemon zest. There were no leftovers. Served with some sausage meatballs and a big green salad.