Brown Butter Squash Gnocchi

Classic Italian gnocchi di zucca — pillowy buttercup squash gnocchi tossed in a simple sage and brown butter sauce, finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Ingredients:

1 small buttercup squash (about 1kg), halved and seeded
350 g ‘00’ flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 large egg
80 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
5 g fine salt, plus extra for the pasta water
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
120 g unsalted butter
20 fresh sage leaves
2 g black pepper

Chef Notes

Squash varies in moisture, so add flour gradually — you want the softest dough you can still shape without it sticking to your hands. Under-flour rather than over-flour for the lightest gnocchi. The dough can be shaped ahead and frozen on trays; cook straight from frozen, adding an extra minute to the boiling time. Any leftover roasted squash flesh can be stirred through risotto or soup.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place 1 small buttercup squash (about 1kg), halved and seeded cut-side down on a baking tray and roast until completely tender when pierced with a knife, 40-50 minutes. Leave until cool enough to handle, then scoop the flesh into a sieve or muslin cloth set over a bowl and let it drain for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture
2. Push the drained squash flesh through a potato ricer or mash until completely smooth. You should have about 400g of puree.
3. In a large bowl, mix the squash puree with 1 large egg, 80 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve, 5 g fine salt, plus extra for the pasta water, and a generous grating of 1 whole nutmeg, for grating. Add 350 g ‘00’ flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting a little at a time, folding gently with a fork or bench scraper until a soft, slightly sticky dough just comes together. Avoid overworking it.
4. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. Divide into 6 portions and roll each into a rope about 2cm thick, dusting with flour as needed. Cut each rope into 2cm pillows. Optionally roll each piece over the back of a fork or a gnocchi board to create ridges. Transfer to a floured tray in a single layer.
5. Set your Miele induction cooktop to power level 8 and bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
6. While the water heats, melt 120 g unsalted butter in a large light-coloured frying pan over induction power level 5. Add 20 fresh sage leaves and cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter turns golden and smells nutty and the sage leaves are crisp, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
7. Reduce the cooktop under the pasta pot to power level 6 to keep a gentle boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches so the pot isn’t crowded; they are ready about 1-2 minutes after they float to the surface. Lift out with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drain off.
8. Return the sage butter to induction power level 4. Add the drained gnocchi directly to the pan and toss gently to coat in the butter, adding a splash of the starchy pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Season with 2 g black pepper.
9. Divide the gnocchi among warm plates, spoon over any extra brown butter and crisp sage from the pan, and finish with a generous grating of extra Parmigiano-Reggiano.