I love this time of year; the colour of the leaves, the soft, golden sunshine and the crisp, blue skies. I’m not such a fan of the grey, rainy days.  The autumn produce for me makes up for the sometimes gloomy days. The range of squash and pumpkin seems to be more diverse every year. Despite the stiff competition, I still feel that you can’t beat a butternut squash for its flavour and texture. The original recipe which I found on https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-pumpkin-gnocchi/ uses pumpkin, but the butternut squash works a treat. The ricotta in this recipe gives the gnocchi a lightness and together with the parmesan the gnocchi are tasty morsels of cheesiness. The classic combination of the sage and butter works beautifully; it’s a real ode to autumn.

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

• 300 g butternut squash, cubed, baked and then pureed
• 185g ricotta
• 185g plain flour
• 30g parmesan, finely grated
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Black pepper

Sage Butter Sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 50 g butter
• 20 fresh sage leaves

To serve:

• Black pepper
• Parmesan, grated

Instructions

1. Cut the butternut squash into cubes, season with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Roastin the oven (180 fan /200/ gas 5). When the squash is cooked, crush with the back of a fork into to puree.
2. Placethe squashand remaining gnocchiingredients in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix well – it should be a soft dough.
3. Dust a work surface with flour, tip dough out, sprinkle with flour then pat into log shape.
4. Cut into 6 pieces. Roll into ropes, then cut into 2cm pieces.
5. Use a fork to press down lightly on the cut side of the gnocchi.
6. Bring a large pot of water to the boilandadd some salt.
7. Place the gnocchi into the water. Cook for 1 minute or until all the gnocchi riseto the surface, then drain.
8. Meanwhile, melt about 1 teaspoon of the butter plus oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the gnocchi and cook, shaking the panuntil the gnocchiare starting to turn brown (about 1 1/2 minutes).
9. Add remaining butter then once it melts, add sage leaves. Stir and cook for 2 1/2 minutes or until gnocchi are golden, sage is crisp and butter is slightly browned. Add salt if you used unsalted butter.
10. Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan and pepper.