Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts

Inspiration:
Butternut squash, garlic, and onions from our CSA
and
The Kitchn


Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
  
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
• 1 package (16-18oz.) gnocchi (I used Trader Joe's)
  
• 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note from The Kitchn: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

2. Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

3. Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the gnocchi. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

4. Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

5. Add half the gnocchi to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the gnocchi is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

   (Note from The Kitchn: Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

Notes:
I really enjoyed this recipe. I didn't have any short pastas on hand as used in the original recipe, so I used a package of gnocchi from Trader Joe's instead. It was delicious! I used only 1/2 of the squash, however, and saved the remainder of the roasted squash for another recipe.

I love this flavor combination and would like to try some of the following recipes:

• Giada's Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce
• Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Ina's Butternut Squash Risotto
• Williams-Sonoma Butternut Squash, Sage, and Hazlenut Risotto recommended by Erin
  

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Fettucine with Spicy Broccoli

Inspiration:
Food & Wine
broccoli and garlic from the CSA


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 3/4 pound dried fettuccine
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into 2-inch-wide florets with 3-inch stems
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the nuts are golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the fettuccine.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the skillet and add the broccoli. Cover and cook over moderate heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir the broccoli, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic and the crushed red pepper. Season the broccoli with salt and pepper and cook, stirring gently, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and cover.
4. Transfer the fettuccine to a warmed bowl and toss with the butter. Add the broccoli and the pasta cooking water and toss well. Sprinkle with the reserved pine nuts and the cheese and serve, passing more cheese at the table.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10