Potato gnocchi with butternut squash sauce is a well known recipe, but what makes this one stand out are all the toppings! Savory garlic chips, crispy curry leaves and umami-packed shiitake take this simple meal to a whole new level. Yet, it remains an easy, quick to make dish, perfectly suitable for a mid-week dinner. The delicious sauce comes together in just under half an hour, giving you plenty of time to prepare the toppings.

The Flavour Affair:

Potatoes + Butternut Squash + Thyme + Garlic + Shiitake + Curry Leaves + Parmesan

Butternut squash is aromatic and sweet, and complementing it with savory elements is essential to achieve a beautiful balance. Here, we play with different flavour aspects – pungent, earthy, salty, umami – and create a nice variety of textures: soft and creamy, juicy and crispy.

Potatoes: take the form of gnocchi in this recipe. Mild, earthy, fluffy and slightly starchy, potato gnocchi provide a neutral base, allowing the rest of the ingredients to shine.

Butternut Squash: just a couple of slices is plenty for 4-6 servings of the sauce. We roast it first to soften, then blend together with aromatics and chicken or vegetable stock for thinning.

Thyme: brings in an earthy, slightly bitter element and elevates the aromas. I pop a few fresh sprigs onto the baking dish with squash and add a pinch of dry herb into the sauce.

Garlic: I use garlic in three ways in this recipe: roasted, fresh and deep fried. It is truly amazing how the flavours differ from one form to another. Roasted garlic is meaty, sweet and umami-like, creating a lot of depth in the sauce. Fresh garlic adds sharp, pungent notes. Both are blended together with squash to enhance the flavours of sauce. Lastly, thin slices of garlic fried in oil turn into a kind of salty chips with an unexpected pickle-like aftertaste. They make a fabulous garnish.

Shiitake: I like these mushrooms because they are super easy to handle. They only need a few minutes of frying in oil or butter to slightly caramelize while remaining juicy on the inside. Frying also brings out deeper flavours – earthy, nutty and savory.

Curry Leaves: my favourite twist in this recipe. Typically you’ll see some sage leaves scattered around, but I much prefer the taste of curry leaves. Warm, slightly smoky and peppery, with subtle tobacco-like notes, they really elevate the dish and make it far more interesting. Check out my Curry Leaves Spice Profile to learn more about this gorgeous spice!

Parmesan: optional. If you feel a pasta without cheese is a crime against Italian cuisine, add a bit of parmesan and go easy on salt. Bear in mind that it will make the sauce a little creamier, but also a bit heavier.

Preparation Tips for Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Shiitake, Garlic Chips and Curry Leaves:

Start with roasting the squash. Wash it and pat dry, then cut three slices from the wider part, 2.5-3cm thick. No need to peel – the skin is perfectly edible. Place onto a lined baking dish, drizzle with oil and tuck in whole garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. Roast at 200C for about 25 minutes:

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You don’t have to peel garlic, either: it will soften during roasting and you can squeeze it out straight into the bowl with squash.

While the squash is roasting, put a bowl of water to boil and prepare the toppings:

• Cut the caps off the shiitake mushrooms. Wash them thoroughly to get rid of any sand and squeeze hard to get the extra water out. Slice the caps thinly across and set aside.
• Thinly slice 2-3 cloves of garlic.
• Wash and pat dry the curry leaves.

Important!! Have an oil splatter shield ready. Shiitake have high water content and curry leaves will have some drops on them. When that water gets in contact with oil, there will be lots of spillage.

• About five minutes before the squash is ready, heat 2 cups of olive oil in a small pan until very hot. Add the shiitake and fry for 1-2 minutes, until the edges caramelize. Take out with a blotted spoon and transfer onto a paper towel to drain excess fat.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add garlic slices to the same pan. Only fry them for 5-7 seconds until they just turn golden. Be careful to not burn the garlic – it literally takes no more than a few extra seconds! Again, use a blotted spoon to transfer the chips onto a paper towel.
• Lastly, fry the curry leaves. Similar to garlic, they need very little time. Watch them crisp and shrink from the edges inwards and take out before they start turning brown. If the oil is still very hot, we are talking 2-3 seconds here.

It’s perfectly ok for the toppings to sit on a plate for a bit while the sauce is coming together:

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By now, the squash should be done and the water for gnocchi boiling. Only a couple of things left:

• Cook gnocchi according to the instructions (normally 2-3 minutes) and drain.
• Place the squash into a large bowl, squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin and pop in a fresh clove. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry thyme and blend until smooth. Use chicken or vegetable stock to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. If you don’t have stock, you can use starchy water from the gnocchi.
• Pour the sauce into the pan and warm through. Add the gnocchi and stir to coat.

Done! Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, load with the toppings and serve. Make sure that you’ve got all the delicious elements in one bite:

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I hope you try this recipe, it really is incredibly flavourful and makes a super pretty dinner plate. Looking for more comforting recipes with butternut squash? Check out these dinner ideas:

Pappardelle with Squash and Porcini Mushrooms

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut, Ginger and Prawns

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Farfalle

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