My mom’s kabocha squash harvest yielded 55+ squash (squashes??) in the very first year. Kabocha squashes, aka Japanese pumpkins, have a more powdery texture than other squashes. They feel more like sweet potatoes and are also much sweeter than other squashes.

Even though Sacramento will reach 111°F today, I am trying to milk every last drop of September-December by pretending it’s autumn already.

I used my own gnocchi recipe to make these little nuggets, subbing the potatoes with the roasted squash and yam. I also figured out a better way to create the gnocchi ridges by using fork tines to roll each gnocchi pillow along a bamboo sushi rolling mat. You’d think that a store called “Chef’s Mercantile” would carry gnocchi boards, but it doesn’t. Luckily, I am the most resourceful person I have ever met.

I originally meant to serve the gnocchi with broccolini, but the one time I needed broccolini, Sprouts Farmers Market was completely out of stock. I’ve literally seen broccolini in stock every single time I’ve been to Sprouts, but it’s ok asparagus is fine 🙃.

Soggy gnocchi is the worst. Crispy gnocchi is not.

#blessed

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 2 cups roasted kabocha squash flesh
• 2 cups roasted purple yam flesh
• 1 cup grated hard cheese, divided (I used a mix of Parmesan and Parrano)
• 2 eggs, divided
• 3-4 cups of flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• sage
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/8 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetables of choice

D I R E C T I O N S

1. Roast three medium sized kabocha squashes and three purple yams with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Scoop out 2 cups worth of flesh from squash and yams, creating two separate batches
3. To each batch, stir in 1/2 cup of grated cheese, 1 egg, salt, pepper, and enough flour to form a workable dough (about 1-2 cups)
4. Roll segments of the dough to form long ropes, and use a bench scraper or knife to cut uniform gnocchi shapes.
5. Roll each gnocchi along fork tines, bamboo sushi mat, or gnocchi board.
6. Par-cook the gnocchi by boiling them in small batches until they float.
7. Finish cooking with butter on the stove until slightly crisp.
8. Serve with creamy tomato sauce/ brown butter sage