I Dream of Gnocchi

SO, I have a food post for y'all. I didn't really take too many pictures because I was busy thinking that this was going to turn into a complete disaster or be mediocre or at least be one of THOSE dishes. Disappointing or unimpressive:

We're our own worst critics, at least until Kuzco gets involved. What can I say? Despite the odds, the dish turned out awesome. When I make more friends dans Montréal, in my magical dream scenario, I would cook this and bring it to a pot luck.

It was an experiment, after I saw a recipe for a Vegan pasta sauce that was similar to an alfredo, but made with acorn squash. What did I happen to have after my adventure in impulsively grabbing produce at our local fruiterie this week? You guessed it, acorn squash.

I'm an addict for creamy pasta sauces and I was craving comfort food after a tired Monday in classes. It's a little work intensive, not because any of the steps are TOUGH, just because there several of them to be taken in the process.
So if you make this at all (DO IT), set aside time and DON'T BE STARVING when you start. Also, don't be Vegan. Also, don't be scared. Cooking without a recipe from your brain is an art.

Now's let's make some delicious art, baby.

Riley's Experiment Turned Totally Awesome Squash Gnocchi

Ingredients
• 1/2 baked acorn squash, peeled (Slice squash in half. Gut it. Put the halves face down on a baking tray or casserole dish with a half inch of water in the bottom. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until the flesh is tender and the skin peels off easily. If you're cooking for a crowd, use the whole squash and 2 packs of gnocchi, maybe?)
• Cream cheese
• Milk
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (depending on how much you like garlic, add more or add less)
• Cooking oil of some kind
• Salt & Pepper (freshly ground if you have it)
• 1 package potato gnocchi
• basil, fresh or dry
• some type of hard Italian cheese associated with pasta on the regular. Serious, Parm, Parm Reggiano, whatever you've got on hand. 

 #1. In a bowl, mash together the squash, cream cheese and splashes of milk. Stir until it has a thick, creamy texture. (This is totally up to you, how much you add of everything. Thinner sauce? More milk. Flavour? More cream cheese.)

#2. Brown garlic in a saucepan with a splash of oil, not too much, (this is all going into the sauce) but enough so the pieces don't stick to the bottom of the pan. When it's a toasty golden colour, pour the contents of the saucepan in with the squash mixture.

#3. If you don't mind bits of garlic, you can totally throw this back on the burner now (put it all back in the saucepan from the bowl first) on low heat, stirring so it doesn't burn. I was looking for a really smooth texture so I spooned the sauce into my blender and let it rip until I felt it had been sufficiently whipped into silky goodness.  At the same time, get a pot of salted water on the boil for the gnocchi.

#4. Rip up a few fresh basil leaves and add them, plus a small amount (at most 1/3 of a cup) of my good friend Parm Reggie, grated, and stirred until it combined and melted. Salt and pepper the sauce to your taste.

#5. Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water, according to the package. (Note: When they float to the surface, they're done. GET THEM OUTTA THERE, into the nearest colander like a bad-pasta-ass action film.) 

A neat trick I like to use to thin out my sauce is to ladle pasta water into it a bit at a time. The starch from the noodles gives the sauce body, or something. I'm making that up, but it makes sense to me, OKAY?

#5. When the gnocchi are all cooked, add them into the sauce pot and stir until they're evenly coated. Then, MANGE. Slightly sweet, garlicky, creamy sauce enrobing pillowy soft gnocchi. Not bad for a shot in the dark dinner experiment! Next time, I might add more veg, like onions or wilt some baby spinach into it...

Do not even lie, you want this in your face.