Below are their directions for creating those festive dishes.
“It’s a little
complex, but beyond worth it.”
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with
Sage Brown Butter Douglas Razzano
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARCUS NILSSON
Servings: Six Prep time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Total time: 4 hours (includes chilling time) Recipe by Lidia Bastianich
Ingredients: 1 1-pound butternut squash 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 12- to 14-ounce russet potato, peeled, quartered 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 large egg, beaten to blend 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cups (or more) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage Additional grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Place squash halves, cut side up, on baking sheet and brush with oil. Roast until squash is very tender when pierced with skewer and browned in spots, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool slightly.
Scoop flesh from squash into processor; puree until smooth. Transfer to medium saucepan; stir constantly over medium heat until juices evaporate and puree thickens, about 5 minutes. Cool. Measure 1 cup (packed) squash puree (reserve remaining squash for another use).
Meanwhile, cook potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. While potato is warm, press through
potato ricer into medium bowl; cool completely. Measure 2 cups (loosely packed) riced potato (reserve remaining potato for another use).
Mix squash, potato, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, kneading gently into mixture in bowl until dough holds together and is almost smooth. If dough is very sticky, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead gently but briefly just until smooth. Divide dough into eight equal pieces.
Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
Sprinkle parchment lightly with flour. Working with one dough piece at a time, roll dough out on floured surface to about 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll gnocchi along back of fork tines dipped in flour, making ridges on one side.
Transfer gnocchi to baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 6 hours ahead, keep chilled.)
Working in two batches, cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, 15 to 17 minutes (gnocchi will float to surface but may come to surface before being fully cooked). Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to same parchment-lined baking sheets. Cool. (Can be made 8 hours ahead, cover loosely and chill.)
Cook butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat just until golden, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sage; stir one minute. Add gnocchi; cook until heated through and coated with butter, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Serve with additional Parmesan.