Gnocchi con Patate e Zucca con Ragu’ alla Bolognese (Potato and Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce)

I know y’all are so excited to see my gnocchi! And as an added bonus, I am giving you also my Ragu’ di Bolognese sauce recipe! I am feeling kinda generous.

I posted this sort of backwards. Look below for the sauce recipe first and get that going. 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.

Important notes while making dough:
1) cool the potatoes/squash before adding to flour/eggs.
2) mash the potatoes/squash while they are hot.
3) don’t forget to add flour to your working surface so it won’t stick while you are working it.
4) don’t over mix or it will become mushy.
5) cook in boiling/salted water.
6) don’t stir while cooking or they will stick.
7) 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. Calm down and listen carefully:

How we did it:

Gnocchi Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs potatoes           700 grams
2/3 cup butternut squash  300 grams  (this is weight w/out the skin)
2 cups flour                       250 grams
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk                     (the addition of this yolk will help make dough firmer)
salt/pepper to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (to sprinkle on after it is ready)

First, we made the 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, 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. You need to wait until the potatoes and squash or cool.

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 a floured board (or your counter, if it’s clean).

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 1/2 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.