Itโs time for a serious self-esteem, kitchen-confidence, OMG I AM SUCH A GOOD COOK boost! One Skillet Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Italian Sausage.
Itโs an easy recipe that cooks in one pan, but the moment you take a bite, you will want to hire yourself to be head chef in an Italian restaurant.
Iโve become more confident in the kitchen over the years and feel like I more or less know what to expect when I approach a recipe.
Every now and then, however, a recipe will catch me off guard in a very very good way.
This Italian sausage butternut squash gnocchi is one of those recipes.
I mean, I didnโt think it was going to be bad by any means.
Butternut squash (my fave fall veg), Italian sausage (all things good), and gnocchi (pure comfort food) are all involved.
Add some butter and a handful of Parmesan cheese, and you have a dinner dream team.
I was not, however, expecting this simple sausage and vegetable gnocchi to blow me away like it did.
I took a bite and had to pause to ask myself if I had really made it.
I suppose we are all allowed to blow ourselves away in the kitchen every now and then, but my goal has always been for other people to feel that way about a recipe.
This Italian sausage and butternut squash gnocchi made me feel that way about myself.
It was a cool sensation, and I canโt wait for you to try this recipe and experience it too!
5 Star Review
โYour description is spot on, I tasted this after making it and was blown away! It is so easy, so unique and everyone in the house loved it. This dish is truly gourmet!โ
— Sarah —
How to Make Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Culinary rock star feelings aside, this is a delicious meal that is so easy to make, it almost feels like cheating.
- The entire recipe cooks in one skillet, including the gnocchi.
- Since itโs packed with both lean protein and veggies, it works as an all-in-one meal, no extra sides required (just like with this Cauliflower Pasta and Sweet Potato Pasta).
- It tastes like fall comfort on a plate and had me convinced for a moment that I was back in Italy.
The Ingredients
- Gnocchi. Delightful, pillowy-soft potato gnocchi is a true crowd-pleaser. It pairs perfectly with the Italian sausage and butternut squash.
- Italian Turkey Sausage. For a boost of protein and even more comforting flavor, this recipe also includes Italian sausage. I use chicken or turkey sausage 99% of the time. Itโs leaner than pork sausage but still delivers on flavor. Pinky promise, you wonโt notice the swap.
Tip!
For more delicious Italian sausage recipes, check out my Italian Sausage Rice Casserole, Italian Sausage and Peppers, Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers, and Skillet Lasagna with Italian Sausage.
- Butternut Squash. Sweet, flavorful, and nutritious. Butternut squash is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Spinach. For an extra boost of nutrition. Spinach is rich in fiber and vitamins.
- Butter. Since this recipe obtains its soul-satisfying flavor from only a few ingredients, make sure you use a good-quality butter. It makes a world of difference!
- Sage. For quintessential fall flavor.
- Nutmeg. Adds an irressitable warmth and coziness to the dish. Plus, it tastes fantastic with the butternut squash!
- Parmesan. The perfect finishing touch!
The Directions
- Brown the sausage and remove to a plate.
- Sautรฉ the squash and onion with the garlic, sage, and spices.
- Add the chicken broth and gnocchi. Stir in the sausage and spinach. Top with Parmesan. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover gnocchi in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.ย
- To Reheat. Rewarm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of extra chicken broth or water to keep it from drying out.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.ย
Meal Prep Tip
Brown the sausage up to 1 day in advance. Refrigerate it in an airtight storage container.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Dutch Oven. Perfect for making this recipe!
- Cheese Grater. You can use a box grater or a microplane grater.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife. The ideal tool for cutting the butternut squash.
The Best Dutch Oven
This beautiful and high-quality Dutch oven will cook beside you for a lifetime. It can go from stovetop to oven.
I am so excited for you to try this butternut squash gnocchi recipe! If you do give it a go, please let me know how it turned out in the comments section below.
Hearing from you makes my day even more than a second helping of this gnocchi did (and you know how strongly I feel about it by now?).
Frequently Asked Questions
Gnocchi is a soft, pillowy, Italian-style dumpling that’s made from potatoes. It’s typically eaten like pasta with a sauce.
For this recipe, I recommend using premade, shelf-stable gnocchi, which you can find near the pasta in your grocery store.
I prefer to use Italian turkey or chicken sausage because they have less fat. However, you can certainly use Italian pork sausage if you prefer.
Yes, you can cut a butternut squash yourself or use pre-cut butternut squash cubes. Depending upon the size they are cut, you may need to adjust the saute time accordingly.
One Skillet Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 pound ground sweet Italian turkey sausage removed from casings if needed
- 1 small butternut squash about 1 1/4 pounds, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups cubes total; if you have a little extra, use a very large skillet and add it all if you really love squash, or reserve the extra for another time)
- 1 small yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound potatoย gnocchi*
- 5 cups loosely packed baby spinach about 5 ounces or 5 generous handfuls
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan optionalโwe loved it both with and without
- Pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a very large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium high. Once the butter is melted, add the sausage. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
- Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Once melted, add the squash and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and golden, about 8ย to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, rubbed sage (if using fresh sage, wait to add it until the end), and nutmeg. Continue cooking until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 additional minute.
- Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth andย gnocchiย to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium high. Stir to coat theย gnocchi, then cover the pan. Cook, covered, until theย gnocchiย is just tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the sausage. Stir in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, allowing it to wilt. If youโd like a looser sauce, add a bit more chicken broth. Sprinkle with Parmesan and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy hot.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate gnocchi in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.ย
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of extra chicken broth or water to keep it from drying out.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.ย
- *You can find packaged gnocchi near the pasta in your grocery store.
- Nutritional info is calculated as 1 of 5, or about 1 1/2 heaping cups
Nutrition
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Definitely a keeper, easy to make, and deliciousย
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Beatriz! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made this tonight. It really is delicious and you’re not kidding about how the combination is even better than you’d think it would be with these ingredients. I’m a butternut squash fan anyway, but the combo is yummy! Thank you for dinner and for several lunches and dinners!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Leslie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I decided this year that butternut squash is one of my favorite fall foods. (How did I miss cookinking with it for so many years?) This is one of the best recipes I have tried with it! I highly recommend, but I will say it took me longer to cook it than the recipe said. But that is usually the case – I guess I am a slow chef. ?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Martha! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This recipe was the tastiest way of warming up this chilly Sunday afternoon! So tasty!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Hailey! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Had a similar list of ingredients but a little more of each ingredient (1.9 lbs Sweet Italian sausage links which, after browning outside initially, I sliced into medallions to brown inside), more cubed butternut squash (2 full cups plus more – the dog enjoyed some, as well), increased the amount of onion (1 & 1/2), garlic (5 cloves, minced) and a handful of rubbed sage, 2 cups of veggie broth (still stayed with one pound of gnocchi: though, I was tempted…) – then watched this recipe transform into magic.
Iโm going to revisit this recipe time and time again, then try turning it vegetarian and then vegan.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Mark! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I loved this recipe! Itโs a new family favorite. I used 5 cups chopped butternut squash. I also cut the butter down to 2 tablespoons total since I was using venison/pork sausage, which has more fat than Turkey sausage.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made butternut squash gnocchi and have it frozen. If I wanted to incorporate it into this recipe, do you recommend I cook it first and then proceed with the rest of the recipe or just cook it as written? Thank you, very excited for this.
Hi Takieta! I havenโt tested the recipe with frozen gnocchi, so I canโt say for certain. If you do decide to give it a try, Iโd love to hear how it comes out!
This turned out phenomenal! I substituted with cauliflower gnocchi and chicken sausage…turned out great!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Brittany! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
My family is vegan and gluten-free, so I used gf gnocchi and Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages. Fantastic and very tasty, especially with a glass of red ?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kim! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Just made this for our Sunday night dinner. Wow! I agree with the comments that say this is restaurant worthy. The flavors are wonderful, and with veg prep done earlier in the day, it came together so easily. Thanks Erin for a great recipe!
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed it, Marianne! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
What type of gnocchi did you use for this? I see an asterisk but could not find a corresponding note. The recipe sounds great, but I donโt want to use frozen gnocchi if that will not work.
Andrea, I used shelf stable gnocchi, so that is what I recommend. I hope you enjoy it!
I used hot Italian turkey sausage. My daughter who is college age literally licked the bowl. Delish ? Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Molly! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
this was very good!
I had some sausage in the freezer that I had bought at BJs prepackaged
Unable to remove casing so just chopped into bite size pieces.
My husband loved it and asked if I can make again! He’s not usually a fan of butter nut squash but I snuck it in this one.
Reheats well
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kathi! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Iโve made this twice and both time itโs been easy and amazing! I had cauliflower gnocchi instead of regular. I donโt boil it though. Sautรฉ on the side to crisp it up and then add it at the end. So good!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Eliza! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is just SO good. My husband and all my kids love it. We double the recipe so we all get our fill and have leftovers. Outstanding!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Katie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Your description is spot on, I tasted this after making it and was blown away! It is so easy, so unique and everyone in the house loved it. I appreciate how your recipes encourage me to step out of my comfort zone without being too intimidating. This dish is truly gourmet!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Lovely recipe! With so few ingredients I opted for a high quality chicken Parmesan sausage and it was amazing. Nice comforting meal thank you!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Anne! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi Erin, I absolutely love this dish. My in-laws are coming to visit and my MIL has a low-carb diet. I was thinking to make soup and salad on the side so MIL could decide how much of the main dish (this recipe) she wants to eat but have the option to fill up more on low-carb sides. Do you have a suggestion of what soup might pair well with this recipe?
Hi Keiko! You could definitely try something like instant pot tomato soup (https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-tomato-soup/) or roasted carrot soup (https://www.wellplated.com/roasted-carrot-soup/) I also have a ton of soups on the site if you’d like to check them out! https://www.wellplated.com/category/recipes-by-type/soupsstews/
Absolutely delish! I’m vegan so I subbed vegan sausage and added sliced mushrooms. I also had cauliflower gnocchi in the freezer so I used that, and it turned out yummy. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I just made this recipe this afternoon as I am going to take it to work with me, so I will let you know how it is. I didnt read recipe fully and just added parmesan cheese in with everything and also added dried cranberries…… post to follow after eaten!
Hi Chris! Hope you enjoy it!