Butternut squash gnocchi
I am not an experienced gnocchi-maker at all, but I had this beautiful butternut squash from the CSA on my counter, and I happened across this recipe the same day: http://www.finecooking...
...soooo, I thought I'd give it a try. After testing a couple of gnocchi in a frying pan (I was late getting my water boiling), I wound up adding maybe 1/3 cup of flour to what the recipe called for to get the taste/texture to my liking. When I finally cooked them in boiling water, however, while the flavor was very good and the interior texture was, well, not perfect, but passable, they seemed kind of waterlogged and loosely held together on the surface -- like the outside was threatening to disintegrate (though they didn't quite). Any ideas on how I can fix this in the future? I loved the flavor and would like to nail this dish eventually. A couple of other notes, in case it helps to diagnose the problem: I didn't have a pastry bag, so I clipped the corner off of a gallon freezer bag. Also, their shape turned out a bit irregular (I imagine consistency comes with practice), but the size was in most cases about right. Thanks in advance.
15 Comments
I would think that the amount of flour would affect tenderness more than the moisture in the squash. Generally, in making pasta and noodles, you need to get just enough flour to be able to roll or shape, but too much flour will result in toughness.
I looked at the recipe again, and think that if I try it, I will use my Spätzle maker to form them. You place the maker over the boiling water and push the dough basket back and forth so the pieces fall directly into the water. It goes quickly and easily.
As for piping, that seems rather fussy and messy for gnocchi. I think the spoon would be faster for me. Usually gnocchi are formed and set on a board until all are finished and ready to cook. I'd be tempted to make them like Spätzle are made traditionally--by placing the dough on a small, thin board and "cuttting" them with a knife directly into the boiling water.
You might compare the recipe to other gnocchi made with butternut squash or pumpkin to see how the amounts of flour to squash and other liquid ingredients compare.