Gnocchi with Squash and Kale

Squash.  What a wonderfully diverse food!  There are so many varieties of squash with each having such unique and different flavors.  My one main gripe about squash (particularly butternut squash) is it takes so long to prep.  If you are wanting to use a butternut squash you first have to peel it's hard skin, then seed it, and then chop it.  And the actual chopping can be really hard to do.  Those butternut squashes are tough!

But once all the work is done, having fresh cut squash is one of the best things around.  You can roast it, boil it, mash it, or cook it with just about anything.  Yesterday I made Gnocchi with Squash and Kale from the Food Network website.  Here is the link to a recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/gnocchi-with-squash-and-kale-recipe/index.html

I found this recipe while looking for a pasta-type dish to go along with a bottle of Merlot.  Matt and I have decided to expand our wine repertoire throughout 2013.  We know nothing about wine so we are seriously starting from the beginning.  We know we like red wines and that is about it.  This week we chose the Merlot because it was red and because it was on sale at Publix.  (Any wine suggestions you might have are clearly welcome.)

Back to the recipe.  This dish was quite tasty.  The gnocchi was a nice change from a normal pasta or rice type dish.  When I made it, I doubled the butternut squash and kale amounts that the original recipe called for.  I found that doubling those two ingredients was ideal in the end.  I didn't double the cheese or butter and it still turned out creamy and delicious.  Matt gave this recipe a four out of five chicken wings overall.  He said the butternut squash was a little soft for his liking.  I gave it a five out of five because it was so rich, warm, and filling but only about 10 Weight Watcher points per serving according to my calculations. I had it again today for lunch and relished every bite.   Enjoy!