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Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi With Sausage And Sage

Creamy butternut squash gnocchi with sausage and sage is a cozy Italian-American main made by simmering a silky squash-cream sauce and tossing in pillowy potato gnocchi. Finished with crisp fried sage leaves and grated parmesan for a rich, savory bite in every forkful.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi Use shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi; cook per package directions.
Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage Casings removed before browning.
Butternut squash cream sauce
  • 2 cup butternut squash puree Roasted and blended.
  • 3 clove garlic Minced.
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 salt and pepper To taste.
Sage and serving
  • 12 fresh sage leaves Use for frying until crisp.
  • 1 extra parmesan For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown sausage and crisp sage
  1. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, then drain off excess fat and set the sausage aside.
  2. In the same skillet, fry the sage leaves in the unsalted butter over medium heat until crisp and fragrant, then remove and set aside.
Make the creamy squash sauce
  1. Sauté the garlic in the same butter for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring so it doesn’t brown.
  2. Add the butternut squash puree and heavy cream, then stir until combined.
  3. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and cohesive.
Toss and serve
  1. Cook the potato gnocchi according to package instructions, then add the gnocchi directly to the sauce.
  2. Return the sausage to the skillet and toss until the gnocchi is evenly coated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top with the crispy sage leaves and extra parmesan before serving.

Notes

For the creamiest sauce, simmer just until smooth (5 minutes) and toss gnocchi immediately so they don’t break down. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of cream or water. Freezing isn’t recommended because gnocchi and cream can change texture. If you want a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream (texture will be slightly less rich).