Gnocchi are perfect comfort food and these acorn squash gnocchi are some of the best: deliciously savory, light, pillowy & flavorful. A great taste of fall.
I mentioned when I shared my acorn squash wild rice salad that I am a relatively new convert to the goodness of acorn squash. Having started cooking with it more and, weirdly, seeming to get it more in the vegetable delivery recently than I remember last year, I have been playing around with how to use it. Our household is a big fan of gnocchi so it wasn’t much of a leap until I got to the idea of acorn squash gnocchi. Soft, pillowy, savory deliciousness, they were such a hit when we first made them. So much so, that I will now buy an acorn squash just to make them (and maybe also some acorn squash soup).
Why homemade gnocchi are best
I know for some people the thought of making gnocchi might seem a bit crazy, but for me I now can’t buy pre-made ones as they just don’t taste right to me anymore. Something else added to the ‘can’t buy it because I feel like I can make it better’ category. And it honestly is true – fresh gnocchi have a lightness you just can’t get when they have been packaged up. I also suspect they add higher quantities of flour or other things to get them to hold together more firmly. While that’s great to be able to cook them, it does mean they are heavier/stodgier. I also think it’s nice to be able to play around with the flavors, like another favorite potato spinach gnocchi, and these acorn squash version have a lovely almost nutty savory note.
How they’re made
Gnocchi, and certainly these acorn squash gnocchi, really aren’t that hard to make. They’re also a great thing to get kids involved in making between mashing, mixing and rolling. You simply steam the squash, mash it, then once it’s cool mix in everything else. Then take spoonfuls at a time and roll into logs then cut off bite-sized pieces and roll into little balls. My son loves rolling a bit of dough in his hands – true he has yet to be useful in this but I am sure it all helps him engage with the food.
Tips for making acorn squash gnocchi
Between steaming, mixing and rolling out, it can seem like there are a lot of steps here, but you can form them, put them on a plate and refrigerate a few hours if it suits your schedule better. If you chill them, just watch they may stick to the plate so you may need to ease them off. The actual cooking is very quick, which is great for me when I have a constant ‘have some gnocchi’ chorus going on in the background. If you ever manage to have any leftover, you can cook and store them in sauce or pesto and they will re-heat fairly well in the microwave. Alternatively, freeze uncooked gnocchi separated on a baking sheet then transfer to a freezer bag once frozen and cook from frozen when you need them.
These acorn squash gnocchi work well on their own as a main dish or side eg to lamb chops and to me, are definitely worth the slight bit more time it takes to make them. I hope my friends at Fiesta Friday agree as well. Deliciously savory, comforting and a wonderful taste of fall, these acorn squash gnocchi are definitely worth trying.
Remember to pin this for later!
These acorn squash gnocchi make a deliciously comforting, savory-flavored meal.
- 11 oz acorn squash approx 315g - 1/2 a medium squash peeled and deseeded weight, 16oz/450g before peeling
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour 200g plain flour (or a little more as needed)
- 1/2 tsp sage optional - 2 good size leaves, finely chopped
- 2 oz soft goats cheese 55g, 1/2 log, crumbled
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Peel and deseed the squash, cut into chunks then steam the squash until tender to knifepoint, around 10mins or so.
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Mash the squash, removing any tough bit of the skin you might have missed, and allow to cool.
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Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined, mashing the cheese and squash as necessary so you don’t get lumps.
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Lightly flour a work surface to roll out and rest gnocchi on until you are ready to cook.
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With floured hands, roll out large spoonfuls of the dough into logs and cut off sections about 1/2-3/4in/2cm thick. Roll each chunk into a ball and place onto a floured surface or a plate if chilling to cook a bit later.
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Bring a shallow, wide pan of water to the boil. Drop a few gnocchi into the boiling water at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan and keeping the water boiling.
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Remove with a slotted spoon once the gnocchi rise to the top. If they don't rise after a couple minutes or some do but others don't, nudge them with a spoon as they may have stuck to the bottom.
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Serve with browned butter, pesto or your choice of sauce and some parmesan on top.
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Note - you can freeze uncooked gnocchi by laying out on a baking sheet, freezing then transferring to a freezer bag once frozen. Cook from frozen as you would normally, they'll just take an extra minute to float up.
I'd recommend cooking these in a wide, shallow pan such as Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan
Try these other delicious gnocchi ideas:
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- potato spinach gnocchi
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- lobster gnocchi
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- double pumpkin gnocchi
Original photo from post before updating:
Angie says
Love gnocchi! Even better with squash! Gotta try, gotta try….I keep telling myself that :D. I think I should now that I have this excellent recipe of yours. Thanks for joining Fiesta Friday!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, it took me some time, but once I started making my own gnocchi, I wondered why I didn’t sooner! And thanks for hosting Fiesta Friday 🙂
Marsha says
This has got to be my favorite receipt so far! Yummy!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, you have seen how much my helper likes them!
Julie @ HostessAtHeart says
These look wonderful. I haven’t made gnocchi yet but it is definitely on my list! Thank you for the hints you use to make yours a success. Happy FF!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, I hope you enjoy them.
Kimberly says
I haven’t made gnocchi before, but this makes it sound do-able! (and delish!)
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, they really are yummy, hope you manage to give them a try!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I love gnocchi and I’ve always wanted to make my own, but it feels a little daunting! You have definitely inspired me to give it a go soon though! I’ve never tired acorn squash, but I love most squashes so I don’t doubt I’d love this one too!
I love the photo of your little one helping out, so cute!!
Thanks for bringing these along to Fiesta Friday, they’ll definitely be enjoyed by everybody!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, glad it inspired and hope you manage to try them!
Johanne Lamarche says
These look sublime but it is your adorable sous chef who stole the show!!! When I was in 3 rd grade my Italian teacher would make gnocchi from scratch on Saturdays and would often invite me over. I still remember them as one of the best things I had ever eaten! Never have made them but know I would love acorn squash ones. Yum!
Caroline's Cooking says
What a lovely story! I love how early food memories stick with you. Hope you might be inspired to make them now!
Judi Graber says
I have quite a collection of gnocchi recipes ever since I took a class a couple of years ago. I shall certainly add your seasonal recipe – I am amazed at how many different ingredients you can use to make this dish special 🙂
Crystal & Co says
We love squash recipes! I am so glad you shared this. Yum!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, I hope you manage to try them and enjoy!
Kristen R. says
I just stumbled on this and while an old post, it looks excellent! Do you have an suggestions for a substitute for the goat cheese? Sadly I’ve found that’s an ingredient that doesn’t agree with me. Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Kristen, it might be an older post but it’s still definitely one of our favorites and we’ve been having it a fair bit recently. You can just miss the goat’s cheese out if you like, it still works fine without it. Alternatively something like ricotta will give you that slight creaminess. Hope you enjoy!