Noni’s Autumn Sauce

A silky, savory autumn sauce made with roasted butternut squash, fresh rosemary, white wine and Parmigiano-Reggiano. There’s no cream needed; the squash, butter, cheese and pasta water create a beautifully creamy sauce all on their own. I especially love this served with homemade ricotta gnocchi.

You will need:

2½ cups cooked roasted butternut squash

Glug of olive oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

½ small shallot, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh rosemary, very finely chopped

⅓ cup dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken bone broth, plus more as needed

⅓ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2-1 cup reserved gnocchi cooking water, as needed

1 1/2 lbs fresh gnocchi

Melt 1 tbsp butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2–3 minutes, allowing it to reduce by about half.

Add the roasted butternut squash and 1 cup chicken bone broth. Simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.

Using an immersion blender or regular blender, purée the mixture until completely smooth. Return it to the pan if necessary.

Over low heat, stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg. Add additional bone broth as needed until the sauce is smooth and fairly loose. Taste before adding salt, as both the bone broth and Parmigiano can be salty.

Add your cooked ricotta gnocchi directly to the sauce along with the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Gently toss, adding reserved cooking water a little at a time until the sauce is silky, glossy and lightly coats the gnocchi.

Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a little freshly ground black pepper.

Bella’s Tip: Keep this sauce a little thinner than you think it should be. Butternut squash thickens quickly, and the Parmigiano will thicken it even more. A splash of hot gnocchi water right before serving brings everything together beautifully.