Winter Squash Gnudi with Savory Mushroom Sauce

Skip Breadcrumb HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenWinter Squash Gnudi with Savory Mushroom Sauce
Skill Level
Preparation Time 15 minutes Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 Cost Per Serving $1.47
Share this Recipe
Print
Image of winter squash gnudi

Ingredients

Gnudi
2 cupsButtercup Squash (Butternut or Acorn will also work well), cooked and mashed
1/2 cupRicotta Cheese (low fat or regular), drained to remove most of the liquid
1Egg
1/4 cupPecorino or Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 tspSea Salt
Mushroom Ragout
1/4 cupDried Porcini Mushrooms, soaked in 1/2 cup of warm water
2 cupsMixed Fresh Mushrooms (cremini, chanterelle, etc.), sliced in large pieces
1/4 cupSundried Tomatoes, roughly chopped
2Shallots, finely chopped
1 cloveGarlic, crushed
1 tbspFresh Sage or Thyme
1/2 tspDried Chili Flakes (optional)
1 tbspOlive Oil
To TasteSea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

  1. Combine the squash, ricotta cheese, egg and grated pecorino cheese in a bowl and mix well. Slowly stir in the flour until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator.
  2. Add the olive oil to a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic, chili flakes and shallots. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes, season with fresh sage or thyme and add the sundried tomatoes. Add the porcini mushrooms with most of the soaking liquid and simmer for a few more minutes. Season to taste.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  4. Add the gnudi mixture to a piping page or plastic freezer bag (cutting about a half inch off in the corner). Dust a cutting board with a little flour. Pipe the mixture over the cutting board and cut the dough with a pair of scissors about an inch at a time. Make sure to lightly dust each gnudi with flour so that they don’t stick together. Carefully collect the gnudi and add them to the boiling water. When they start to float to the top they are done cooking, roughly a minute. Add them to your sauce and serve.

Nutrition

  • ​Winter squash is an excellent source of fibre, and some of that fibre is in the form of pectin. Pectin can help regulate insulin levels. High levels of insulin are being studied to see what role they play in breast and prostate cancers. 
  • Winter squash is packed with antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes from free radical damage. They can also help prevent macular degeneration, the most common cause of worsening eyesight.
  • Legumes such as chickpeas contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that does not get broken down by the digestive system until it reaches the colon. In the colon, the resistant starch is fermented. One of the products of this fermentation is short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).  SCFAs act as prebiotics, food for healthy bacteria in the colon. These bacteria can boost the immune system. SCFAs may also reduce inflammation in the colon and prevent colon cancer from growing.
  • Chickpeas are an excellent source of folate with 1 cup providing 75% of the folate most people need in a day. Folate is a B vitamin that plays an important role in repairing cell damage.  Eating foods rich in folate reduces pancreatic cancer risk. Folate also helps lower homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid that, at high levels, is associated with higher risk of heart attack and stroke.