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Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi With Sausage And Sage

Creamy butternut squash gnocchi with sausage and sage is a rich, velvety Italian-American main dish made by simmering squash puree with heavy cream and parmesan until smooth. Pillowy potato gnocchi and crumbled sausage are tossed in the silky sauce, finished with crisp sage leaves and extra parmesan.
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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: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb Italian sausage casings removed
  • 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
  • 12 fresh sage leaves
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
  • 1 extra parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown sausage
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage. Cook until browned, then drain excess fat and set the sausage aside.
Fry sage
  1. In the same skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat and add the fresh sage leaves. Fry until crisp and edges look dark green, about 1 to 2 minutes, then remove to a plate.
Build the squash cream sauce
  1. Add the minced garlic to the butter and stir for 1 minute, keeping it fragrant but not browned. Pour in the butternut squash puree and heavy cream, then stir to combine.
  2. Stir in the grated parmesan, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce turns smooth and glossy.
Cook and toss gnocchi
  1. Add the potato gnocchi directly to the simmering sauce and cook according to package instructions. Stir gently until the gnocchi are hot and tender.
  2. Return the browned sausage to the skillet and toss everything together until evenly coated. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Finish
  1. Spoon the gnocchi into bowls and top with crispy sage leaves and extra parmesan. Serve immediately for the best texture.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, simmer just until thickened, then keep the heat low so it doesn’t separate. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of cream or milk. Freezing is not recommended because gnocchi can soften during thawing. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (the sauce will be slightly less thick).