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Spicy Truffle Cheese Sauce & Grain Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi


I'm a huge fan of cooking shows. I'm always in awe and inspired by the beautiful food professional chefs make and the techniques that they use. It's so much fun to watch them cook and then I can go do it myself!

 is healthy and easy to make!

What I love the most about watching talented chefs' work is that they describe the texture and taste of a finished product. Gnocchi is supposed to be light and fluffy and a good sauce should have a complex depth of flavor, so that's what I worked to achieve in this new healthy recipe. Luckily, using gluten-free and grain-free flours you can't overdevelop the gluten when you knead this dough, and the finished product is pretty amazing! The creatively crafted Castello Double Creme Truffle Cheese is incredible on its own but combined with some heat and herbs, it makes a sauce to die for.

The flavor of truffles in Castello Double Creme Truffle Cheese is earthy and beautiful. You will love this cheese!
https://ooh.li/0115bf0

Since 1893, Castello has brought a range of innovation and tradition to the art of cheese making. Castello offers three varieties of cheese: including Havartis, Blues and Double Cremes made with natural ingredients and great attention to detail. Unlike other soft cheeses, Castello Double Cremes mature from the inside out to insure a velvety texture every time.
Spicy Truffle Cheese Sauce & Grain Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi
I roasted the squash with garlic and cinnamon. Then let it cool a bit before ricing.
Spicy Truffle Cheese Sauce & Grain Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi
The sauce doesn't need heavy cream when you use this incredible Castello Double Creme Truffle Cheese.
Grain Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Spicy Castello Double Cream Truffle Cheese Sauce
Easy and Fluffy Grain-Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi!
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Grain-Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Spicy Castello Double Cream Truffle Cheese Sauce

Serves 4-6

Ingredients: Roasted (not boiled) butternut squash
  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Olive oil
Ingredients: Gnocchi
  • 1 pound (apx 1/2 of a medium squash) roasted butternut squash, cooled, mashed.
  • 2 1/2 cups grain-free flour mix, recipe below, as needed (use for board as well)
  • 1 clove roasted garlic, mashed
Ingredients: Truffle Cheese Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons gluten-free sweet rice flour/Mochiko (grain-free tapioca option-see note below)
  • 2 cups 2 % milk of choice or low salt gluten-free stock, as needed
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 block (5.1 oz) of Castello Double Creme Truffle Cheese
  • 2 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
  • Sriracha, to taste
  • splash of white wine, opt
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped 
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Grain-Free Flour Mix  

Note: If you don't need grain-free, you can also use regular gluten-free All-Purpose Flour. If gluten-free is not needed, use your regular flour, but you will need much less, so add slowly. Too much flour and you will have heavy gnocchi.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F./ 200 C. Line a large baking sheet with foil

  1. Peel garlic and leave cloves whole. 
  2. Wash the butternut squash, cut off ends, peel, cut in half and remove seeds. Chop squash into large 2-inch cubes. Spread the squash cubes and garlic cloves in a single layer on the baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil to coat. 
  3. Season with salt and pepper and cinnamon. 
  4. Roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until very tender.
  5. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  6. In a large bowl, mash the cooled squash with a ricer, potato masher or large fork until almost smooth. Add half of the flour mix and combine well. I use my hands. Keep adding the rest of the flour, as needed, until you have a sticky ball. It will firm up more on kneading.
  7. Flour board generously and turn out the dough. Knead, scrape up dough and add flour to the board to keep from sticking. 
  8. Keep kneading until the ball is smooth and workable. It will still be a bit tacky. I use a Silpat mat for rolling and it helps a lot. 
  9. Pull a golf ball-sized bit of dough off and set the rest aside. Flour the board a little if dry. Gently roll dough into a 3/4 inch log using all of your fingers splayed out. 
  10. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces. Pat the cut ends up, place on floured plate and press lightly on one side with a fork to indent. 
  11. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  12. Put a large saucepan 1/2 full of lightly salted water on to boil. 
  13. Start the cheese sauce.
  14. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil to bubbling. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Let cook, stirring constantly for several minutes.
  15. Slowly add a little milk or stock, whisking constantly, adding more as needed as the sauce thickens. 
  16. Add the Parmesan and the Castello Double Creme Truffle Cheese (the rind will melt) and keep stirring. Add a bit more milk or stock as it thickens if needed. We like our sauce a little on thin side so it doesn't overwhelm the gnocchi.
  17. Add roasted garlic and cilantro. Season with salt, pepper and Sriracha to taste.
  18. Let simmer on low, stirring occasionally while the gnocchi cooks. 
  19. When the water is boiling, turn the heat to a gentle boil, add the gnocchi and give them a little stir. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they float to the top of the pan. Drain gently.
  20. Turn the gnocchi into the cheese sauce and combine.
How to use arrowroot or tapioca starch to thicken sauce:

 Arrowroot is not what you want to use since it turns slimy when added to dairy.


Tapioca flour/tapioca starch, like arrowroot, is most often used to thicken glazes, sauces, gravies, and baked goods. It stays stable in cold temperatures, so it too is good to use for foods you will freeze. It also works well in milk-based recipes, so it should be used instead of arrowroot for gravies or other dairy-based recipes.
Tapioca is not recommended for use with high acid foods because it loses its ability to thicken when mixed with acidity.
Tapioca thickens quickly and can withstand being heated for a long period of time, which is an important difference from arrowroot.
To avoid clumping, both arrowroot and tapioca starch should be mixed with a little cold water before adding them to your hot mixture to thicken. Neither requires high heat to dissolve, so they can be added towards the end of cooking without concern for taste.


Comments

  1. I can see myself making this dish, especially for Thanksgiving. I like to have a special dish for those that do not want turkey. Recipe is simple to prepare and follow.

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    1. That's a great idea Anita! I think this would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

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  2. Your recipe is TV worthy, for sure! I need to make this the next time I have guests so I can impress them. I always like to hear the way TV chefs describe food, too.

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    1. Thanks Alli, I'm keeping this recipe in my arsenal for special guests too.

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  3. What a fabulous sounding dish - and it looks amazing too. I am a big fan of squash and my daughter loves gnocchi, so I think this might be a perfect one for her!

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    1. Sarah, the only thing I would change for your daughter is the garlic. Unless she has a cultured palate, you might want to go with less garlic in gnocchi and sauce. I personally love garlic, but my kids don't.

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  4. I would gladly watch that Bradley Cooper movie for a heaping helping of Spicy Truffle Cheese Sauce & Grain Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi. I love truffle anything. I even put truffle oil on my popcorn. This recipe excites me in my soul, thank you for sharing.

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    1. Oh James, that might be the best compliment I've had for some time...maybe not the best for Bradley, but he gets enough of them, so I think it's OK..lol.. all my best to you too.

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  5. Wow, your gnocchi and cheese sauce looks fabulous, Ali!

    Shirley

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    1. Thanks Shirley! Wish you were here to share it with me. big hugs

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  6. This sounds like a really tasty recipe! I've wanted a reason to try butternut squash and this gives me one.

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  7. This sounds like such a delicious and easy-to-make cheese sauce! That cheese does make this one so creamy. It would be amazing on some pasta or over some chicken!

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    1. You know what Jenn? That's why I worded the title with the cheese sauce first. It is OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. now I have to say, I'm pretty darn proud of the gnocchi too, but I did exactly what you said last night and put this sauce over my Chicken Milanese and it rocked! Great minds huh?

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  8. I read a lot and I mean a LOT of recipe blogs and this recipe honestly sounds like the most delicious meal I've seen in ages. I love making and eating gnocchi, though I've only ever tried potato gnocchi. Roasted butternut is one of my favorite foods, so this variation would be lovely. I can't wait to try this, even though sadly I know our grocery stores here in Costa Rica definitely don't stock that fab truffle cheese. Thanks so much for sharing this yumminess.

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    1. Jelli, what a treat this sweet message was to read! I'm honored that you took the time to write something so lovely. Now, you let me know what I can do to help you recreate this dish with the ingredients that you can find in Costa Rica. I'm on FB or here every day. Big big hugs

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  9. The closest I've come to making gnocchi is the Trader Joe's pre-made frozen ones haha! My boyfriend is a huge gnocchi fan and now I feel like I have a recipe I can tackle and make from scratch! Our 4 year anniversary is next week. I think I'll surprise him with this dish :D Thanks girl!

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    1. Hi Emily, I bet Trader Joe's are great, but he will be so impressed if you make him this from scratch. Email me if you need help! aliwill70@gmail.com Happy Anniversary!

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  10. That looks great Ali! Pinning so I can make this soon :)

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  11. Private cooking classes sound great! That spicy truffle cheese sauce sounds so good! I need to experiment more with sauces while cooking!

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    1. I hope you win! No, I hope we both win and they fly us to New York and Bradley is there..lol..

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  12. Spicy Truffle Cheese Sauce & Grain Free Butternut Squash Gnocchi?! SIGN ME UP! This looks so yummy. I LOVE potato gnocchi so I know I'd love this recipe too <3

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  13. Oh this looks so good! Maybe I can convince my boyfriend to make it for me ;)

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  14. Wow, this looks amazing. I'm a huge fan of Gnocchi but have never thought of making my own. I may have to give it a try.

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    1. Wow, I didn't know that so many people are fans of Gnocchi! That is so cool!

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  15. Oh wow! This looks like one amazing recipe. I will definitely have to try this over the weekend!

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    1. Oh Mistee, I would love to hear how it comes out for you! If you have a minute, will you come back and comment with your results? Happy Gnocchi making!

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  16. As someone who is gluten free, I always appreciate finding grain free recipes! This sounds amazing! Now just to convince someone to make it for me ;)

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    1. It's really not that hard Chantal :) I know it sounds like it might be a pain, but I think it's fun to play with your food!

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  17. Everyone is always posting SO many recipes on their blogs and this is deifnitely the first one I found in the last few days that is worth pinning. It looks so amazing! My husband loves gnocci and will absolutely love this recipe! Pinning it now!

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    1. Hi Lynzy, that is so nice of you! I can't wait to hear how he likes it!

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  18. My favorite is butternut squash, so I know this is a very healthy meal. I have not had Knocci before, but I would love to taste it. Taste it before I make it.

    Thanks for sharing your recipe.

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    1. Colette, it's a revelation..really! It's like a cross between a tiny dumpling and a light soft pasta. Really addictive :)

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  19. Oh my. You're amazing. Definitely featuring this at Savoring Saturdays! Thanks so much for sharing it with us, Ali! :)

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    1. Raia, you made my day! What an honor to be featured on my beloved Savoring Saturdays! Big hugs and say hi to the girls for me. xo

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Hi! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you so much for your comments and questions. I respond as fast as I can, so please be sure to check back for your answer. By leaving a comment you are consenting to your email being collected for communication purposes only. Blessings, Ali