08/31/2026
🍽️ Recipe of the Week: Butternut Squash Gnocchi + Minty Kale Pesto + Frozen Mint Lemonade 🥬
This week, kids in Sticky Fingers Cooking coast to coast are creating a simple, tasty recipe: Butternut Squash Gnocchi (pronounced NYOH-kee), an Italian variety of dumpling! First, with Chef Instructor help, our kid chefs will bring water and salt to boil for the gnocchi. Then, kids will measure out flour, salt, nutmeg, grated Parmesan cheese, and a package of thawed frozen butternut squash, plus one egg into a large bowl. Then they’ll mix everything together to form a dough. Kids will roll the dough out into long, even ropes or "snakes." Then, they will cut their "snakes" into chunks and shape their gnocchi. After cooking the gnocchi in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, they will drain the gnocchi and set aside.
Our chefs will top the gnocchi with Minty Kale Pesto! Our recipe today includes fun pesto alternatives like kale, mint, and sunflower seeds! First kids will chop up kale, garlic, and mint leaves and add them to a food processor or blender. Then kids will squeeze in lemon juice and measure out olive oil, salt, and sunflower seeds. Kids will blend the mixture until smooth, then stir in Parmesan cheese, taste and adjust flavor. Kids will toss the warm gnocchi with the pesto before serving! "Buon appetito" (Bwohn ap-peh-TEE-toe) or "Enjoy your meal" in Italian
To wash it all down, kids will whip up Frozen Mint Lemonade! Our chefs will squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into a blender, add mint leaves, sugar, water, and ice, then blend until thick. "Salute" (sah-LOO-teh) or "Cheers" in Italian!
✨ Hands-on, nutritious, and full of flavor—this week’s recipe reminds us how fun it is to explore world cuisines, one bite at a time!
"Mangia bene!" ("Eat well"), as they say in Italy!
