Butternut Squash & Gnocchi with Sage & Browned Butter

Pillowy gnocchi tossed with sweet roasted butternut squash in a savoury sage and browned butter sauce and topped with grated Gruyère—this is comfort food. There are a few steps, but this recipe is fairly simple and the results are exceptional.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash, diced
• sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 2x 350 gram packages of store-bought gnocchi or 700 grams of homemade gnocchi
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 30 large fresh sage leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or very thinly sliced
• 2 handfuls chopped fresh kale leaves
• 1 cup walnut or pecan halves
• freshly gratedGruyère cheese
• fresh sage leaves for garnish

Butternut SquashCut the top & bottom off of the butternut squash and peel. Halve the squash, cutting carefully from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds. Dice the squash into 2cm cubes. Toss the cubes in olive oil and add salt and pepper and lay in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Heat oven to 425°F and roast for 30 minutes or until tender inside. Remove from oven and put aside.GnocchiCook the gnocchi according to the package instructions. Don't overcook! Drain and put aside.Browned Butter SauceIn a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. As the butter is melting, add in the sage leaves and cook for 5 minutes—stirring constantly. You should see the butter darken slightly and brown flecks will appear. This may take longer than 5 minutes, but don't walk away. Browned butter can become black butter very quickly.As soon as the butter is as brown as you'd like it, add the drained gnocchi and toss until all the pieces are coated. Cook the gnocchi in the butter sauce for 1-2 minutes and then flip the pieces and cook for 1-2 minutes more or until golden. Add in the minced garlic and cook for no longer than 30 seconds, otherwise the garlic will burn and blacken. Stir in heavy cream and remove from heat.Combine & ServeStir in the kale and roasted butternut squash, and toss to combine. Top with a generous amount of Gruyère, garnish with sage leaves and serve.