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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 skillet dinner with a velvety orange-cream sauce. Pillowy gnocchi get tossed with savory sausage crumbles and finished with crisp sage leaves and parmesan shavings.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi
Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
butternut squash puree
  • 2 cup butternut squash puree (roasted and blended)
garlic
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
parmesan
  • 0.5 cup parmesan, grated
  • Extra parmesan for serving
unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
fresh sage leaves
  • 12 fresh sage leaves
nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Brown sausage
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the Italian sausage until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat and set the sausage aside.
Crisp sage
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet and fry the sage leaves until crisp and darkened at the edges, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the sage to a plate lined with paper towel.
Make the creamy sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium and sauté the minced garlic in the butter until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add butternut squash puree and heavy cream and stir to combine.
  2. Stir in parmesan, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes and simmer until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer so it stays glossy.
Toss and finish
  1. Cook the potato gnocchi according to package instructions, then add them directly into the simmering sauce. Stir gently until the gnocchi are coated and heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Return the browned sausage to the skillet and toss to evenly distribute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Top with the crispy sage leaves and extra parmesan. Serve immediately with the sauce clinging to the pillowy gnocchi.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the sage moving while frying so it crisps without turning bitter. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of cream or water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because gnocchi and cream sauces can lose texture. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a slightly thinner but still creamy sauce.