Butternut Squash Chocho Gnocchi

These butternut squash gnocchi are our fall take on a fan favorite. Think pillowy pockets of potato and butternut squash in a lush, flavor packed pesto sauce. The best part? These gnocchi not only contain more micronutrients than your typical gnocchi (thanks to the butternut squash) but are packed with protein. The gnocchi recipe calls for 1 cup of Mikuna Chocho Superfood Protein Original, which packs a whopping 54 grams of protein per recipe. With easy prep (just chop and roast your potatoes and butternut) and built in time to make the pesto, this meal can easily be whipped together in under an hour but is impressive enough to wow your family and friends. You'll never need to buy protein void store bought gnocchi again, trust us. 

INGREDIENTS//

Gnocchi

• 2 ¾ cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cup gluten free baking flour
• 1 cup Mikuna Chocho Superfood Protein Original
• olive oil 

Pesto

• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 cups pepitas 
• 10 tbsp (½ cup + 2 tbsp) champagne vinegar
• 3 cups of fresh basil
• 1 tbsp salt

METHOD//

Gnocchi

1. Heat oven to 425º Fahrenheit
2. Toss the butternut squash and potatoes in 2 tbsp olive oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet
3. Place in the oven and roast until you can poke the vegetables with a fork (about 20 minutes)
4. While vegetables cook, make the pesto:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until there are no big chunks
2. Taste and add more salt if needed

1. Pass the vegetables through a food mill or food processor to grind them up and then put them into a mixing bowl
2. Add the rest of the ingredients into the mixing bowl and slowly stir together to form dough
3. After everything is combined, if the dough is too sticky then add more gluten free flour until the dough doesn’t stick to your hands
4. Form gnocchi into ½ inch balls
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi in batches for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent gnocchi from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Gnocchi is done when it floats to the surface
6. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, drain, and add olive oil to prevent sticking to each other. Transfer in an even layer to a baking sheet to allow for gnocchi to dry and cool
7. Repeat until all gnocchi have cooked
8. Make the pesto
9. Combine the pesto with the gnocchi along with any other seasonal vegetables and enjoy!

Pesto

1. Blend all pesto ingredients in a blender until smooth
2. If you want to make it creamer, add a splash of unsweetened plant milk