Cheesy Butternut Gnocchi Bake with Tuscan Kale

Pasta-lovers, can you resist a bowl of gnocchi? I can't. Now imagine that baked into cheesy goodness with some fresh Tuscan kale?

The cold months are prime time for casseroles, which I will continue to create dishes around. Try out my coconut artichoke and spinach bake for example - a riff off the classic dip you find in restaurants.

For this recipe, using butternut, I took one of my favourite kinds of pasta and paired it with one of the most familiar vegetables to me - kale! This loaded, creamy bake is perfect for dinner, a potluck, or simply to have on hand when you need a recipe like this.

Some people find it intimidating to make pasta at home, but gnocchi is relatively easy - it’s just a vegetable starch like a potato or a gourd such as butternut boiled or roasted, combined with flour, egg, and sometimes seasoning and cheese to make a soft dough. This dough is then cut, shaped, and boiled, and finally tossed in butter. Pretty simple right?

The rolling and cutting of the dough into pieces are what can take a bit of time, but you can always reserve some for another day!

Think of this as a mac and cheese version of gnocchi. Give it a try! It's quite filling so you won't need anything else to get full.

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

1 lb. butternut

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Fresh sage

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Tuscan kale cheese bake:

1 bunch Tuscan kale

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup sharp white cheddar, grated

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 spring onions. chopped

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Instructions

Prepare the gnocchi. Boil the chopped butternut until tender, for about 25-30 minutes.

Drain and transfer to a bowl. Combine with seasoning, parmesan cheese, egg, and flour.

Knead into a soft dough. Add extra flour if it is too sticky (but not too much otherwise your mixture will dry out).

On a lightly floured surface, transfer the dough and divide into 4-8 parts to make things more manageable.

Shape the dough into long rolls and cut into little 1/2 inch pieces, set aside until you have the desired amount. You can refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough, wrapped tightly in some cling wrap for later use.

Once all the gnocchi dough is prepped, rollover a fork to create a wedge in each piece. At this point, you can roll them up a little tighter if you prefer. Remember to flour the surface to prevent the dough from getting sticky again!

Boil a large pot of water and add the gnocchi in batches. Once they float to the top, they are done. Place the pasta in a colander.

In a large nonstick saucepan, add the butter, sage, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes until the sage leaves begin to wilt, and the butter is fragrant. Add the gnocchi and toss for about 4-5 minutes, set aside.

In a large pot, prepare your kale. Chop the bunch and add to salted boiling water for about 5 minutes until wilted. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan or pot add the butter and saute the onion for about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and mix into a thick consistency. Add the cream and the milk and mix, whisking if necessary to remove lumps. Add the shredded parmesan and white cheddar cheese and stir until both melts.

Season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Mix the kale and gnocchi, then transfer to the cheesy roux. (You can add a bit of roux to the casserole dish before this step as you would with marinara sauce when making lasagna).

Pour the gnocchi mix into the baking dish, sprinkle with additional cheese and parsley, and bake at 400F for 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and served warm!