Homemade potato and butternut squash gnocchi with a delicious ragu' alla Bolognese. Make the sauce in the morning and let it simmer. This is Italian comfort food in every bite. The gnocchi are freezer-friendly!
If you like gnocchi, then you also need to try my gnocchi alla sorrentina and my beet gnocchi!
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I know you are all so excited to see my gnocchi! And as an added bonus, I am giving you also my Ragu' alla Bolognese sauce recipe! I am feeling kinda generous.
Make the sauce first, as it needs to simmer. Or you could make the gnocchi, freeze them for the next day. Then, do your sauce, and eat it all tomorrow. I'm not picky. Whatever you prefer.
Tips to make the best homemade gnocchi:
- cool the potatoes/squash before adding to flour/eggs
- mash the potatoes/squash while they are hot
- don't forget to add flour to your working surface so it won't stick while you are working it.
- don't over mix or it will become mushy
- cook in boiling/salted water
- don't stir while cooking or they will stick
- they will float to top when they are ready
Phew! Sorry, it's sounding so complicated. But. so worth the effort. I know, super exciting.
What ingredients are in the homemade meat sauce?
- extra-virgin olive oil
- onion
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- pancetta
- lean ground beef (you could do a mixture of pork/beef or however you prefer)
- white wine
- tomato paste
- crushed tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
- fresh basil leaves
- fresh flat-leaf parsley
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
How to make a homemade meat sauce?
In medium size sauce pan or a Dutch oven heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. If you are adding the pancetta, now is the time to add it and cook for 5 minutes, then add the beef and saute, stirring frequently.
Break up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and simmer. I simmer my ragu for about 2 hours.
Here are the vegetables and beef cooking up nicely.
The sauce thickens up as it simmers. Add a little water if it's getting too thick.
After you have cooked up your gnocchi, add the sauce and sprinkle on some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. You could also use Grana Padano.
What ingredients are in homemade gnocchi?
- potatoes
- butternut squash
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
How to make butternut squash gnocchi dough?
Wash the potatoes and boil them until they are very soft (boil with peels on). Cut the butternut squash into chunks, take out the seeds, you can leave the skin on, and boil them. They will finish faster so you could boil them in a separate pan like we did. When they are soft, it's time to mash the potato and butternut squash.
You should use a ricer, if you have one. Or just mash it up with a potato masher.
Once they are mashed, mix the potatoes with the squash, egg, and salt in a large bowl. In small portions, add the flour. Knead it until the texture is smooth. Keep adding flour in little bits if the dough is sticky. Knead the dough on counter or working board dusted with flour.
Place a large pan with salted water on high heat.
This is how the dough should look:
Now you have to separate the dough into the portions. We did about 6 portions. (I say "about" because one roll may have been used like play-doh). Roll out each individual portion. Have a cookie sheet ready with parchment paper on it and a little flour. That is where you will put them when ready and flour will stop from sticking. Gnocchi are very sticky. You have to move swiftly and adeptly. (I'm not joking!)
With each rolled out portion, you cut your little gnocchi. You make about a ½ inch thick rope, and cut each gnoccho out of the rope.
When the cut-out pieces are ready, time to roll them off back of your fork. You take each piece, dip one side in flour, the other side, roll off fork.
You know what the indentation is for from the fork? It is to hold the sauce. Ingenious! Now remember, you are moving swiftly and adeptly. Each time you make your indented creation, put it on the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Don't toss them on top of each other. They will stick together. Make sure you have a little bit of flour on the parchment.
Your pot of boiling water should be ready by now. Time to add the gnocchi. Carefully add them to the water. They will cook in about 5-6 minutes tops. They will float to surface of water when they are ready. You may get a premature floater.
Now you should have made the sauce ahead and you should have it heating up in a pan on medium-low.
Take out the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and add immediately to your bowl. Add the sauce on top of the gnocchi. Add your grated cheese. Add extra salt and pepper if you want.
In medium size sauce pan or a Dutch oven heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. If you are adding the pancetta, now is the time to add it and cook for 5 minutes, then add the beef and saute, stirring frequently.
Break up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and simmer. I simmer my ragu for about 2 hours.
After you have cooked up your gnocchi, combine it in a large bowl with the sauce and grate on some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. You could also use Grana Padano.
How to Freeze Gnocchi
Place the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet that is parchment lined and lightly dusted with flour. Keep the gnocchi separated in a single layer to prevent sticking.
Place the tray in the freezer for 2 hours, or until firm. As soon as they're firm, transfer the gnocchi to a large zipped lock freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Looking for more meat recipes? You should also try my Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs Pasta Sauce and this Venison Shepherd's Pie.
Some other recipes to try:
- Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs Pasta Sauce
- Pumpkin and Turkey Pasta
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Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
RAGU' ALLA BOLOGNESE -MEAT SAUCE
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup of onion chopped you can use sweet onion or yellow onion
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 carrot diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ pound pancetta chopped (optional)
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef you could do a mixture of pork/beef or however you prefer
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 6- ounce can tomato paste
- 1 28- ounce can of crushed tomatoes I use San Marzano
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped (optional)
- 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Gnocchi Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs potatoes 700 grams
- ⅔ cup butternut squash 300 grams (this is weight w/out the skin)
- 2 cups flour 250 grams, plus more to dust
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1 egg yolk the addition of this yolk will help make dough firmer
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to boil gnocchi
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Parmigiano-Reggiano grated (to serve)
Instructions
- RAGU' ALLA BOLOGNESE-MEAT SAUCE
- In a medium size saucepan or a Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. If you are adding the pancetta, now is the time to add it and cook for 5 minutes, then add the beef and saute, stirring frequently.
- Break up any large lumps and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and simmer.
- I simmer my ragu (Bolognese sauce/meat sauce) for about 2 hours. You could make this a day ahead.
- GNOCCHI
- Wash the potatoes and boil them until they are very soft (boil with peels on). Cut the butternut squash into chunks, take out the seeds, you can leave the skin on, and boil them (the squash cooks up faster, so we cooked them in a separate pot).
- As soon as they are soft to touch with a fork, it's time to mash the potato and butternut squash. You should use a ricer, if you have one. Or just mash it up with a potato masher. Let them cool a little before you begin to mash them.
- Once they are mashed, mix the mashed potatoes and squash with the egg, and salt in a large bowl.
- In small portions, add the flour. On a clean work space that is floured, begin to knead it until the texture is smooth. Keep adding flour in little bits if the dough is sticky.
- Place a large saucepan with salted water on high heat.
- Separate the dough into the portions (we did about 6 portions). Roll out each individual portion. Have a cookie sheet ready with parchment paper on it and a little flour. That is where you will put them when ready and flour will stop from sticking. Gnocchi are very sticky. You have to move swiftly and adeptly.
- With each rolled out portion, start to cut out the gnocchi. You make about a ½ inch thick rope, and cut each gnoccho out of the rope.
- When the cut-out pieces are ready, time to roll them off the back of your fork. You take each piece, dip one side in flour, the other side, roll off the fork.
- Place each gnocco on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet that is sprinkled with a little flour. Be sure to space them out and not place them on top of each other.
- Carefully add the gnocchi to the saucepan with boiling water. They should be ready in 5-6 minutes. Once they float to the surface of water, they are ready. You may get a premature floater.
- Take out the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and add immediately to a large serving bowl. Add the sauce on top of the gnocchi. Stir together to combine. Grate on some Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it and requested to have it again!
This recipe is delicious!! made it for a family dinner and they loved it. Thanks!
Omg, ladies, these butternut squash gnocchi are epic! My family loves pasta and this recipe just entered in the top 10. It's amazing!