Butternut squash gnocchi with crispy sage

Photo: Love & Lemons

Store-bought gnocchi pan-crisped like little potatoes, roasted squash, kale and dollops of cold ricotta, all in a sharp cider-vinegar dressing. Crispy sage leaves on top.

From Jeanine Donofrio at Love & Lemons · @loveandlemons

Pan-frying shelf-stable gnocchi instead of boiling them gives you crisp outsides and soft middles, and the vinegar dressing keeps a rich dish lively.

You need

• For the crispy sage: 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 10 fresh sage leaves
• For the dressing: 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp maple syrup, ¼ tsp Dijon mustard, sea salt and black pepper
• 1 lb (450 g) store-bought gnocchi
• 2½ cups cubed butternut squash, ½-inch cubes (12 oz)
• ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced (½ cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 3 curly kale leaves, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces (3 oz)
• ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta
• Red pepper flakes

How to make it

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment. Toss the squash with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, spread it out and roast 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and browned at the edges.
2. Make the crispy sage: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry about 1 minute, until they darken slightly and go crisp. Lift them onto a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Keep the oil in the pan.
3. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Turn the skillet with the sage oil up to medium-high. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and cook, turning now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden and crisp on the outside. (Don't boil them first.) Tip them into a bowl.
5. Turn the heat to medium. Add a little more oil if the pan is dry, then the onion, and cook 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme for 1 minute, then the kale and a pinch of salt, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until it just wilts.
6. Return the gnocchi to the pan with the roasted squash and pour over most of the dressing. Toss to coat.
7. Plate it, drop spoonfuls of ricotta on top, then crumble over the crispy sage, a pinch of red pepper flakes and the rest of the dressing.

Written in our own words from Jeanine Donofrio's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Butternut squash gnocchi with crispy sage, Love & Lemons.

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