Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Fried Sage

The triumvirate of butternut squash, sage, and brown butter melds well, particularly stuffed in ravioli or stirred with gnocchi. This dish is a great winter primi, but its light enough to serve in the summer, too—swap the butternut for summer squash and squeeze a little lemon on top immediately before serving. This recipe calls for 12 ounces of gnocchi, which is about one store package, but gnocchi is really easy to make. Even better, you can make gnudi—gnocchi of flour and ricotta and no potato.

Serves 2. Making more or less is easy, but make sure your saute pan in the last step is large enough for all the gnocchi. Use two if needed.

Ingredients:

12 ounces gnocchi or gnudi (about 50 pieces)
1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
4 tablespoons, in 1 tablespoon increments, unsalted butter
one 1.5lb butternut squash (about one medium sized gourd), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
8 small sage leaves
1/8 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, roughly chopped
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a stock pot of heavily-salted water to a gentle boil. Add the gnocchi in batches, about a half dozen at a time. Cook, gently stirring, until the gnocchi rise to and remain on the top, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a colander. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the grape seed oil. Once hot, add one tablespoon of unsalted butter. Let cook until the bubbles start to reside. Add the squash, sage, and a couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring often and browning all sides, until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, reserve the squash and sage leaves to paper towels.

Heat a clean saute pan over medium-high heat. Add one teaspoon of grape seed oil. Once very hot but not yet smoking, add the mushrooms and saute for 1 minute. Add one tablespoon butter, the shallot, thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste. Saute until the mushrooms are cooked, about three more minutes. Using a slotted spoon, reserve to paper towels.

Heat yet another clean saute pan over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon of butter. Cook until browned. Add the gnocchi. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss the gnocchi so as to brown all sides. Once crisp all over—about two minutes—add the squash and mushrooms. Allow the flavors to mix and the vegetables to come up to temperature, about 30 seconds.

Using a slotted spoon, plate the gnocchi, squash, and mushrooms. Add the final of tablespoon of butter to the pan and brown. Add the parsley and let saute for just a few seconds. Spoon the browned butter over the plated gnocchi. Garnish with the sage. Pairs well with a buttery Chardonnay from California's Napa Valley or Carneros region.