A Pasta Primavera: Kabocha Gnocchi

I know that this blog is specifically titled "No Pasta for Penguins",  but I decided to break the rule a bit with this recipe.  We usually don't have pasta, not because there's anything wrong with pasta - I truly believe in the motto "everything in moderation", but it is a high carb food - something cy tries to avoid if he can so that he doesn't have to use as much insulin.  

However, I've been wanting to try making Gnocchi out of the Japanese Kabocha squash for quite sometime now.  It's true that winter squash tend to be a high carb vegetable, but research now reveal that not all carbs are made equal.  Much of the carbs in winter squash come from polysaccharides in cell walls including specially structured ones called pectin.  These components have been found to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, as well as anti-diabetic and insulin regulating properties.  You can read more about it here or here

This Gnocchi,  made mostly with Kabocha and some wheat flour, is filled with good-for-you carbs, not to mention super simple to make and delicious to eat. It's wonderful on it's own, and I thought about just tossing it in some lemon and sage sauce or something, but decided to make a primavera out of it instead.  The added chicken increases the protein content and different roasted veggies add a wonderful contrast in consistency to the gnocchi, making for a perfect light lunch or dinner.

Kabocha Gnocchi


Ingredients:
makes enough to serve 2-3

Approx 1/4 of medium sized Kabocha
100g of wheat flour
dash of salt

Directions:

1) Peel Kabocha piece, chop into rough pieces and boil until soft.

2) Mix cooked kabocha with the wheat flour in a food processor.  Pulse until combined.  Dough should be sticky but easy to handle.  Try not to overmix the dough.

3) Roll out the dough into tubes approximately 1/2inch in diameter.  Let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.

4) Cut the tubes into pieces 1/2 inch in size.  Roll the the tines of a fork gently across each piece to leave an impression.  When ready to cook, you can cook them in salted boiling water for approximate 7min.  Or you can keep them in a freezer until you're ready to use them.

Primavera

Ingredients:
serves 2-3

1cup Gnocchi (or any other pasta)
1cup cooked chicken breast, chopped (optional)
2 Red bell peppers
1bunch Broccoli
1 carrot
1 onion
1/4cup olive oil
1/4cup grated parmesan
1tbsp chopped garlic
1tbsp Herbs de Provence (or Italian herbs)
salt & pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400degreesF.  Thinly slice all vegetables and mix together with salt, pepper, herbs de provence, garlic, and olive oil in a bowl.  Roast on a metal sheet pan for approximately 20 min. Giving it a good mix about half way through.

2) Cook the the Gnocchi during this time, or whatever pasta you plan to use.  Drain, and then toss together with the roasted vegetables.

3)  Add the chicken pieces if you'd like at this point, as well as the parmesan cheese, taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper and you're done!