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These homemade Butternut Squash Gnocchi require only 3 ingredients, are absolutely delicious and couldn’t be easier to make. Toss them in a quick and easy, creamy squash sauce for a cozy and hearty meal or pair them with your favourite marinara. The squash gnocchi are pillowy, can be prepared in advance, are grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo and won’t leave you feeling weighed down or bloated.
Ingredients You Need for the Butternut Squash Gnocchi
These gnocchi require only 3 ingredients!
- Butternut Squash: I like to roast the squash on my Traeger Grill for some wood-fired flavour, but you can absolutely use an oven. The goal is to roast the squash until tender, but not to develop too much colour, which will make the gnocchi overly sweet. A small butternut squash that weighs around 2 pounds will take approximately 45 minutes in a 375F oven to get completely fork-tender.
To cook the squash, slice it in half, remove the seeds and season the flesh with olive oil and salt before roasting it cut side-down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the squash is cooked, scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash it with a fork. If you’ve cooked it long enough, it should be tender enough to work into the gnocchi dough without the need for a food processor. - Cassava Flour: If you want to keep this recipe grain-free, I recommend using cassava flour. Otherwise, you can substitute all-purpose flour. When boiled, cassava flour gets a bit fluffy and springy, which is great for gnocchi. Some brands of cassava flour have a slightly gritty texture, but for the most part, when it’s mixed with the butternut squash and boiled, the grittiness is hardly noticeable. I usually purchase Bob’s Red Mill or Otto’s Cassava Flour. Thrive Market also carries a great cassava flour.
Cassava flour is made from peeled, ground and dried whole cassava root, as opposed to tapioca starch, which is made from the same root but with a different process. Cassava flour is naturally grain-free, gluten-free and highly versatile, so it’s great for Paleo recipes. - Egg: For every 1 cup of flour, you’ll need one large egg. If there is an allergy in the family you can also make these butternut squash gnocchi without egg by combining the squash and cassava flour. The dough will be a bit more crumbly and slightly harder to work with but it is still doable.
What You Need for the Creamy Squash Sauce
- Butternut Squash: Use leftover roasted squash from making the gnocchi to create a delicious and easy sauce to serve them with. Not only will it give the sauce a beautiful colour and delicious flavour, but it will also reduce waste.
- Garlic: As always, measure this ingredient with your heart and don’t let anyone tell you there’s such a thing as too much!
- Tomato Paste: I like to add a spoonful of tomato paste to the sauce to boost the red colour and add some depth of flavour.
- Crushed Chili Flakes: A bit of spice will help balance the sweetness in the squash. Use as much or as little as you desire, or omit entirely if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
- Fresh Sage: Fry some fresh sage leaves in olive oil until crispy and set them aside for a delicious garnish. This step will also infuse the oil with flavour, giving the sauce more complexity.
- Hazelnuts: If you’re using raw hazelnuts I recommend roasting them in a 375F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. You can do this alongside the squash in a separate sheet pan. Transfer the nuts to a clean kitchen towel and rub them together to loosen the skins. Use the bottom of a bowl to crack them in half and then return them back to the oven or to a dry skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes to get some more colour on them. This will completely transform the flavour and texture of the hazelnuts.
- Butter: This recipe does not call for cream, but it does make use of some good quality, grass-fed butter. If you want to keep the recipe completely dairy-free, omit the butter and use olive oil instead.
- Pasta Water: A key ingredient to this sauce is to add some of the cooking water from the gnocchi. You’ll need around 2 cups of the pasta water so don’t drain it without reserving some first!
- Parmigiano Reggiano: It’s optional, but if you can handle some dairy then I recommend finishing the sauce with some freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It will add depth of flavour and make the sauce creamy without the need for cream. You can also substitute grana padano or pecorino romano.
What Are Butternut Squash Gnocchi?
Although technically a dumpling, gnocchi are usually tossed with a sauce and enjoyed in the same way as pasta. Think of these Butternut Squash Gnocchi as a modern adaptation of traditional Italian potato gnocchi. Instead of using starchy potatoes and wheat flour, this recipe calls for using butternut squash and cassava flour to keep things entirely grain-free and gluten-free, as well as low-glycemic. The idea is to keep the same look and texture of traditional gnocchi, but to make it a more suitable option for people following grain-free or gluten-free diets. This same technique can also be done with other vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin or cauliflower.
How to make Homemade Squash Gnocchi
This recipe follows the same basic technique used to make classic potato gnocchi.
- Bake the squash in an oven or on your Traeger grill until it’s completely fork-tender. I like to slice the squash in half before roasting because it speeds up the cooking time and allows you to season them with olive oil and salt. Once they finish roasting, let them cool down before scooping out the flesh.
- Knead together the squash flesh, cassava flour and egg. You can use a fork, or a bench scraper, which helps lift the flour off of the work surface.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll them into long ropes. Cut the ropes into bite-sized gnocchi around 1-inch long and, if desired, roll them across the back of a fork to create some small ridges and an indentation to better hold the sauce.
- Boil the gnocchi in salted boiling water until they float to the surface. Then let them cook an additional 2-3 minutes until they’re just cooked through and springy in texture.
- Toss the butternut squash gnocchi in the creamy squash sauce to create a delicious marriage of flavours. Or serve them with your favourite marinara, pesto or meat sauce.
- Garnish with toasted hazelnuts, crispy fried sage leaves, some extra-virgin olive oil and maybe a snowfall of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and enjoy!
Looking for More Healthy Italian-Inspired Recipes?
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Italian Minestrone Soup
- Grain-Free Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Artichoke Salad
- Grain-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Garlicky Mushrooms
- Grain-Free Cauliflower Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage
- Cioppino
- Osso Buco with Gremolata
- Spaghetti alle Vongole
- Sausage, Fennel and Kale Ragù
- Sausage, Greens and Beans
- Dairy-Free Penne alla No Vodka
- Easy Porchetta Recipe
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Creamy Squash Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, around 2-pounds
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup cassava flour, plus more, as needed
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup roasted, unsalted hazelnuts, skins peeled and cut into halves
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, substitute ghee
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven or Traeger grill to 375F.
- Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Season the flesh with 1 tablespoon olive oil and lightly season with salt. Place the squash cut side-down onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and transfer to the oven or Traeger. Roast the squash the thickest part is completely fork-tender, around 45 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven or Traeger and let them cool down. Use a spoon to scoop out all of the flesh and transfer it to a bowl. Mash the squash with a fork until completely smooth.
- While the squash roasts, add the hazelnuts to a dry frying pan and set over medium low heat. Toast the nuts, stirring regularly, until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the sage leaves and cook until crispy, around 1 minute total. Transfer the sage to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside.
- Place the cassava flour on a large cutting board or clean countertop and make a deep well in the middle. Add 1 cup of the squash purée and the egg. Using your hands, a fork or a bench scraper, continuously fold the mixture over onto itself from all sides until all of the flour is incorporated and a ball of dough forms. It should be smooth, soft and hold its shape when pressed with your finger. If the dough is too sticky or wet, add a small amount of cassava flour and repeat.
- Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces and roll into individual balls. Gently roll each ball of dough back and forth into a ¾-inch-thick rope. Cut the rope into individual gnocchi around 1-inch long and dust with a little bit of cassava flour to prevent sticking. If desired, gently roll each gnocchi against the back of a fork to create indentations and set aside.
- Fill a stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt to the water and carefully add the gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi float to the surface, around 2 minutes. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the gnocchi are cooked through yet still a little firm and springy.
- Meanwhile, set the skillet used to fry the sage over medium heat. Add the butter and heat it until golden brown and no longer bubbling, around 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, around 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and chili flakes, if using, and cook, stirring until incorporated, around 2 minutes. Add ¾ cups of the squash purée and stir to incorporate. Ladle in 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and stir to incorporate. Add ¼ cup of freshly-grated parmigiano Reggiano, if using, and stir to incorporate. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the sauce and toss well to coat. Spoon the gnocchi into individual serving bowls, garnish with freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano, if using, toasted hazelnuts, crispy sage leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition
Calories: 829kcal, Carbohydrates: 98g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 700mg, Potassium: 1790mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 40845IU, Vitamin C: 86mg, Calcium: 598mg, Iron: 8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
We cooked for 20 minutes the gnocchi and they still were uncooked. We then checked some italian sites and the Cook timing was 30-40 min.
I highly recommend to Cook them that long.
The sauce is really good.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce! But 30 to 40 minutes of boiling time is far too long. I’m assuming the squash was roasted until tender in order to incorporate it into the dough, so I don’t think that’s what added to your longer cooking time. It could be that your water wasn’t hot enough? The gnocchi should be boiled over high heat (not simmered). They should float to the surface after only a few minutes and then will need only a few more minutes after that for the flour to cook through and no longer be raw. Cassava flour does have a different texture than all purpose flour so it will be much more spongy than what you may be used to. I hope that helps!