Gnocchi Nights

a one pot meal to rule them all

Drop a ❤️ if you think that 2024 has already lasted 1,000 years. I know I’m going through it right now but it seems like everyone else is too. Anxiety is airborne. I usually like to destress by making something complicated and intricate for dinner but right now, I’m in my relax and rebuild era. That means noodles, soups, and lots of one pot meals. Lucky us.

This week’s recipe is like a thick stew that you finish in the oven. Between the added nondairy cream (optional of course) and the natural starches that the gnocchi and butternut squash release as they bake, the resulting broth is creamy and impossibly velvety. At first you are going to think it looks like too much liquid but trust the process and in the final 15 minutes when you bake the dish uncovered it will transform. It made my whole place smell like I was cooking a multicourse Thanksgiving meal, but it only took me 10 minutes to prep. I use store-bought gnocchi here, the kind you find near the pasta at the store, but a version from the freezer is just fine too. No need to cook it ahead of time, it will be plenty tender after simmering alongside the butternut squash chunks. Can’t find gnocchi? Replace it will some creamer potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces or add another can of beans. Want an even thicker stew? Reduce the broth by 1 cup but no more to get a barely-there gravy coating the whole dish. Serve warm with a thick cut of a crusty sourdough bread and kick up your feet. You deserve it.

Baked Butternut Squash and Gnocchi Casserole with White Beans

serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

One red onion, chopped

1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, about the size of a dice (one small squash)

4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon salt

one 500 g package of gnocchi, uncooked

1 ½ cups cooked white beans or one 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed

1 cup nondairy unsweetened heavy cream, creamer, coconut milk, or more broth

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups chopped kale or your favorite hearty green