The Best of Leftovers: Butternut Squash Gnocchi with a Sausage Chorizo-Spiced Butter (Part 1)

So I had half a large butternut squash left over from the stuffed butternut squash recipe. I didn't want to stuff it, neither did I want to just cut it up in a salad. As I like being creative I googled "squash recipes" for inspiration. I came across squash gnocchi..."Squash gnocchi? Well that's an idea" I thought. I looked at different recipes and gave up with understanding their method so I just thought I'd do my own thing in the kitchen and...well... I wish I had made more!! I only made enough for two people but next time I will definitely cook a WHOLE TUB FULL. It's like Italian heaven on a plate, so much healthier than typical potato gnocchi and the meat can be excluded if it's for vegetarians.

So as you have guessed, this post it showing you part 1 of "the best of leftovers"



Ingredients

• Two cups butternut squash, mashed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• Two dessert spoons of Parmesan cheese, grated finely
• A pinch of fresh nutmeg,(use a small microplane grater)
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried basil flakes
• Two good quality sausages (around 96% of meat)
• Knob of butter
• 1/2 tsp dried garlic flakes

Method
To make the sauce: put the pan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil when hot add in the: smoked paprika, paprika, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes and basil. Cut off two sausages from the pack and snip at the end of the sausage, squeeze the meat into the pan and dispose of the casing. Mash into bits until cooked (around 10 minutes). Add a knob of butter and switch the gas off. Now onto making the gnocchi

In a bowl  combine the butternut squash, salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp the chilli flakes, 1 dessert spoon of Parmesan, nutmeg and mix. Add the flour a little at a time, it is very sticky but should look like the picture below. Please do not add more flour otherwise it will just have a flour taste to it (trust me on this one, plus we will be using more flour for dusting anyway)!

Flour a clean surface and knead the mixture carefully, it's quite a fragile and sticky dough. If it keeps sticking to surface add a little more flour to dust it, we are looking for something like the picture below:

Cut into three slices, roll into cigar shapes and cut into 1 inch pieces, I then used a fork to make a pattern on the top:

Boil water in a pan with 1/2 tsp salt then add the gnocchi into the water with your hands. I only put half of them in so the pan wasn't overcrowded and so it wouldn't stick. They are ready when they float to the top (3 minutes):

Switch the gas on for the pork and carefully lift out the gnocchi with a spoon, drain off the liquid and scatter in the pan.

Do not mix, just swirl in the pan/ shake it, we are looking for a crispy outside and gooey texture in the middle, share between two bowls and grate Parmesan cheese on the top and you are done!

I only made a little bit as I wasn't sure how it would work out, but it was a big hit with the family!

I hope this has inspired you to make the most out of your left overs and if you attempt the recipe please tag #BasiBeauty, I'd love to see your creations! Part 2 of "The best of leftovers" will be published by the end of the week.

Much love,

Kimren xo