I can remember growing up making homemade gnocchi with my Nana. Cooking with her is one of my favorite childhood memories, it was our special time together doing what we both loved to do. The hours spent growing up in an Italian kitchen with my Nana and my Mom are priceless, I learned to appreciate the process of cooking with real food. Just the taste of a dish we used to make together like gnocchi brings back the most vivid memories that I feel so blessed to have experienced. Cooking with others and creating a meal together is priceless, food really has a remarkable way of bringing family, friends and strangers together. It’s something so simple but so special. Our hope through this blog is that we are inspiring you to spend more time in the kitchen cooking with real food. These are special moments that you can create with your own children, grandchildren, family and friends that they will look back on with fond memories and remember as well. Okay, just had to share that little message because we both are so passionate about the food that we create and pass on to all of you!
Now…on to this bomb dish! We did not make this gnocchi from scratch but that’s okay, it still tastes amazing. This is really a one dish dinner since we threw kale and butternut squash in the mix. Any good gnocchi must have fontina cheese sprinkled on top, I mean it’s just a requirement. The butternut squash brings such a creamy and sweet texture and the kale really balances everything out. Do not skip the red pepper flakes, the added hint of heat is an unexpected twist that is a huge part of making this dish irresistible.
If you aren’t familiar with gnocchi, they are cute little potato dumplings that literally melt in your mouth. There are tons of different ways to serve gnocchi from tossing them with a simple marinara sauce to adding them to soup, to creating a dish like this with veggies. My guess is once you make this recipe you will fall in love with gnocchi as well. Taking just 35 minutes to serve up you can have this on your table for dinner tonight!
- 3 C cubed butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into ½ inch chunks
- 1 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1¼ C low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 C kale, stemmed and chopped
- 1 16 oz package mini gnocchi
- 1 C grated fontina cheese
- Preheat oven to broil. a large skillet with high sides melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped squash and cook, stirring occasionally for 12 minutes, or until softened and slightly golden. Add garlic, sage and red pepper and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and bring it to a simmer. Add kale, gnocchi and salt and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and add ¼ C fontina cheese. Transfer mixture to a casserole pan. Top with remaining cheese and broil for 3-5 minutes, until cheese begins to turn golden and bubbly.