Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F
2. Cut the butternut squash in half, length wise. Scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a parchment covered oven pan. Rub lightly with olive oil and place in hot oven.
3. Cook for about 40 minutes, until it starts to collapse. Let cool.
4. Scoop out the pulp, you should have about 1 pound. Place in bowl and mash with fork till smooth. Add ricotta and stir well. Add egg and cheese, and stir. Add the flour, a bit at a time, until it is well mixed.
5. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
6. Pour olive oil into a pan big enough to hold all the gnudi later. Heat and add the cubed pancetta. Let cook slowly until the pancetta has given up most of it’s fat and is lightly browned. Add the sage leaves and cook for two more minutes. Turn off heat and add the butter, which should begin to melt.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
8. Form the gnudi: This is the trickiest part, since the dough is very wet. I’ve done it with my hands and with spoons, you can do it however you feel most comfortable.
9. Lightly flour a large plate or cooking sheet.
10. Using your hands: flour your hands well, and take some of the batter in your hands, forming an oblong gnudi, about 3 inches long. Kind of like a small football. Place on tray. When they are all made, gently lift them and place in the boiling water. They only take about 4 minutes to cook. Once they float to the surface, let them cook another minute. Then, using a slotted spoon, place them into the warmed butter, pancetta mixture.
11. Using spoons: scoop up some of the batter with one large soup spoon, and using another, smooth it over and gently slide it into the boiling water. Proceed as above.
12. Either way you can only do this in small batches, about 5 or 6 at a time.
13. Once all the gnudi are in the butter, raise the heat a bit, to make sure the butter is melted and the gnudi are warm.
14. To serve, place 3 or 4 gnudi on each plate and top with some of the pan juices and grated cheese.