Blue Cheese, Butternut Squash & Gnocchi Bake

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4.80 from 5 votes

Blue Cheese, Butternut Squash & Gnocchi Bake

Servings: servings

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Ingredients

500 g Butternut Squash - Peeled and cut into 1" cubes
Glug olive oil
400 g Gnocchi
100 g spinach - or other leafy green vegetable
Lemon Zest
100 ml double cream
250 ml vegetable stock
100 g soft blue cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C /400f/Gas Mark 7
Place the cubed butternut squash in a baking tray with the olive oil and seasoning, give a good shake and put to roast in the oven for 25 minutes. When cooked, set to one side.
Put gnocchi in a pan of boiling water for around 2 – 3 minutes until cooked. The gnocchi is cooked when it’s risen to the top of the pan. Scoop out a cup of the water and use that to make the vegetable stock. Drain the gnocchi.
Wilt the green vegetables by putting them in a sieve and pouring a kettle of boiling water over them.
Mix the roasted squash, cooked gnocchi and wilted greens together in an oven proof gratin dish.
Mix the cream and vegetable stock together and pour into the gratin dish. If needed add some more stock so the liquid reaches about 2/3 the way up the other ingredients.
Crumble the blue cheese and scatter over the mixture.
Place in the oven to cook for 20 – 30 minutes – when cooked the cream would have thickened and the top would have started to brown.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Quantities are a guide – you really do not need to measure anything for this dish – adapt according to size of the squash, number of people and appetites.
Spare roasted butternut squash can be kept in the fridge for several days, or frozen – use in curries, dals, soups and smoothies. You can also substitute pumpkin or other squashes.
Gnocchi is an excellent for sticking your pantry. There are several types - ambient or longlife which keeps in the cupboard for several months, or fresh which will keep for two or three weeks in the fridge. Once you open the packet you need to use the remainder within 3 days or freeze, then cook from frozen.
Any leafy greens work well in this recipe - spinach, chard, kale, cavolo nero.
If you do not like blue cheese, top with grated cheddar.
Add some breadcrumbs to make a crunchy topping.
You can assemble this in advance and then bake, or reheat, allow another 5-10 minutes and add some extra liquid.
Make this dinner party worth by baking in individual dishes and nestling a quarter of a fig in each.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.