Gnocchi With Spinach & Roasted Butternut Squash – Easy Vegetarian Recipe

  

Gnocchi with Spinach & Roasted Butternut Squash is a cozy, flavorful dish that combines pillowy potato gnocchi with sweet roasted squash and tender fresh baby spinach leaves.  Soft goat's cheese adds a rich and tangy finish. 

This easy recipe comes together in about half an hours' time, making for a comforting vegetarian meal which is perfect for busy weeknights!  It is a small batch recipe that feeds two people generously, but can easily be doubled as well to feed more. I had also added some tasty suggestions on how to amp it up or switch it out a bit, so read on!

This simple, yet delicious dish is one that I have adapted from a cookery book I have entitled The Family Meal Planner by Good Food.  It is one of the books that I had in the U.K. that I decided to replace after I moved back to Canada. It is filled with lots of thrifty and time saving recipes that are very family and budget friendly.

This recipe really appealed to me on a variety of counts. First, it used things I almost always have in the house. Second, it made for a delicious meat-free option.  Third, it promised to be a recipe that went together quickly and easily without a lot of effort.  A great last-minute meal as it were.

I did take the liberty of cutting the recipe in half to make only two servings. It was really good as is, but I can think of a few ways to make it even better. When I make this again, I will boil the gnocchi, drain and then tip them into a skillet with a knob of foaming butter or ghee.  Toasting them to create some sticky buttery edges, injecting even more flavor into those gorgeous little pillows.  

I love goat's cheese, and it does go very well with butternut squash and spinach.  I think if you wanted to you could also add a warm balsamic dressing and a few toasted broken walnuts to add even more flavor and some crunch. (Just my suggestions.)

In any case it was simple and delicious.  I recommend serving this with a tossed salad on the side.

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

GNOCCHI WITH SPINACH AND ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

• 1/2-pound (225g) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 cups (250g) fresh potato gnocchi
• 4 ounces (100g) fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
• 2 ounces (50g) soft goat's cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

I love butternut squash. It has a lovely sweet and mild flavor and lends itself beautifully to roasting.  The squash I bought at the shops had no seeds in it at all. I think that is because we had such a dry summer this year. It cooked beautifully however and tasted delicious.

Use quality fresh potato gnocchi. 

If you don't have any small cloves of garlic, you can use half of a large one. Alternately you can use 1 tsp of refrigerated garlic paste. 

Wash your spinach in several changes of cold water and drain it well. I use a salad spinner to do this. I also trim off all of the stems as they are quite unpalatable when cooked and make for a stringy finish.

Use a good quality soft goat's cheese. 

HOW TO MAKE GNOCCHI

WITH

SPINACH & ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is very easily made and goes together very quickly. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a lipped baking tray with some baking paper. (This will help prevent the squash from sticking to the pan as it roasts.)
2. Peel the squash, deseed, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss together in a bowl with the garlic, oil and some salt and black pepper to taste. (Alternately you can use 1/2 tsp refrigerated garlic paste.)
3. Pour onto the baking tray, spreading it out in one layer. (You want the squash to roast, not stew.)
4. Roast for 20 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through the roasting time. (This helps to gild all of the sides of the squash.)
5. Close to when the squash is finished roasting cook the gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions. (Mine cooked in 2 minutes. Don't overcook it or it will get gummy.)
6. Drain the gnocchi and return to the saucepan. Add the spinach and toss together to wilt the spinach. Toss in the roasted butternut squash. Season to taste with some salt and a grinding of black pepper. (A grating of nutmeg also goes well with the squash and the spinach.)
7. Divide between two heated pasta bowls and divide the goat's cheese between the two, scattering it over top. Serve immediately.

A tossed salad goes very nicely on the side.

  

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS 

• Make sure you cut all of your squash into a 1/2-inch dice.  That way it will all finish cooking at the same time and begin to caramelize a bit.
• If your spinach is not already washed, make sure you wash it well in cold water, changing the water a few times and drain it well. (I use a salad spinner.)
• DO remove the stems from your spinach. They can be a bit unpleasant to eat.
• Use good quality fresh potato gnocchi and drain it well after cooking.

Variation: If desired, you can brown the cooked gnocchi in a knob of salted butter after boiling it to gild it a bit. This adds additional flavor and a bit of color.  Add the spinach at the last minute to wilt it and then toss everything together with the roasted butternut squash. 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

I don't recommend making this ahead of time. The gnocchi has the best texture if you eat it right away.

CAN I USE ANOTHER KIND OF SQUASH?

By all means. You can use any kind of winter squash. I like butternut squash because it has a lovely sweet flavor that goes very well with goat's cheese.

IS IT NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE STEMS FROM THE SPINACH?

You don't have to, but removing the stems makes for a much nicer presentation and it eats better without the stems.

CAN I USE ANOTHER CHEESE INSTEAD OF GOAT'S CHEESE?

Parmesan cheese goes very well with both spinach and butternut squash. I would recommend this instead of Goat's cheese for a delicious variation.

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

I do not recommend freezing this.

 

A FEW OTHER DELICIOUS

RECIPES WHICH USE GNOCCHI

You may be looking for a few other ways to use up the rest of your package of gnocchi. Here are some recipes that I cooked and really enjoyed. I highly recommend them.

PAN FRIED GNOCCHI & EGG -  Boiled potato gnocchi are sauteed in a bit of butter along with some fresh sage leaves, salt and pepper. Once they are golden brown, you crack a couple of fresh eggs into the middle of them, frying them to perfection.  This is fabulous served hot and dusted with some Parmesan cheese.

HASHED GNOCCHI - this pan-fried hash makes excellent use of a package of potato gnocchi, a tin of corned beef (don't judge me) and a few fresh vegetables thrown together in an interesting and delicious way. You can also use leftover roasted meats instead of the corned beef. It is delicious any which way.

 

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Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Gnocchi with Spinach & Roasted Butternut Squash

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

This delicious dish tastes luxurious but uses only a very few ingredients. it also goes together in about half an hour making it ideal for a day when you are rushed off your feet. Can easily be doubled to feed more people.

Ingredients

• 1/2-pound (225g) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 cups (250g) fresh potato gnocchi
• 4 ounces (100g) fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
• 2 ounces (50g) soft goat's cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a lipped baking tray with some baking paper.
2. Peel the squash, deseed, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss together in a bowl with the garlic, oil and some salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Pour onto the baking tray, spreading it out in one layer.
4. Roast for 20 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through the roasting time.
5. Close to when the squash is finished roasting cook the gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions.
6. Drain the gnocchi and return to the saucepan. Add the spinach and toss together to wilt the spinach. Toss in the roasted butternut squash. Season to taste with some salt and a grinding of black pepper.
7. Divide between two heated pasta bowls and divide the goat's cheese between the two, scattering it over top. Serve immediately

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