• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Julia's Album
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • Salads
  • Seafood
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage

    Published: Oct 13, 2021 / 64 Comments

    108.0K shares
    • Facebook2.2K
    Recipe Print

    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage is the ultimate Autumn comfort food.   This one-pan recipe takes only 40 minutes to make!  Simple and quick enough to make on a busy weeknight.  Creamy and flavorful to become your family's new favorite Fall dinner!

    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage in a stainless steel pan

    Butternut Squash Gnocchi

    What can be better than potato gnocchi smothered in a flavorful creamy sauce that is incredibly easy to make?  Let me introduce you to the creamy butternut squash gnocchi made with spicy Italian sausage, fresh sage, and thyme.  This incredibly easy recipe comes together in just 40 minutes.  It's a delicious Autumn comfort food that will make any cold evening warm and cozy.

    Note: the 40 minutes total preparation and cooking time assumes that you have already prepared the butternut squash puree in advance.  I recommend that you roast the butternut squash and puree it in advance.

    This recipe was inspired by my butternut squash tortellini - another Fall favorite recipe that you might like.

    What type of gnocchi to use?

    I used potato gnocchi, a Delallo brand, made with 85% potatoes.  They work beautifully in this recipe.

    Do you need to pre-cook the gnocchi?

    You don't need to pre-cook the gnocchi for this recipe.  Just add the uncooked gnocchi directly to the sauce (heavy cream + chicken broth).  The gnocchi will cook in the same pan with the sauce and the sausage.  This saves you one more pan to clean and minimizes the cleanup.

    What type of sausage to use with gnocchi?

    • Italian sausage. I used 3 links of spicy Italian sausage. You can also use sweet or mild Italian sausage.
    • Remove the casings. I removed the casings and sliced the sausage. You don't have to remove the casings and can slice the sausage links with casings on, but I really prefer the texture of the sausage without the casings so I recommend this step!

    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage in a stainless steel pan

    How to make butternut squash puree

    Making butternut squash puree is easy - I have a very detailed tutorial here: how to make butternut squash puree.  You will only need 1 cup of it, and it's likely you will have much more than that after roasting and pureeing the butternut squash.  So, make sure to prepare it in advance.  This will reduce your cooking times drastically.

    1) Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit.
    2) Cut the squash in 2 halves, scrape out the seeds and the fiber out of each half.

    halved butternut squash on a baking sheet
    3) Place the squash on the baking sheet cut side down.
    4) Roast the butternut squash in the preheated oven at 375 F for about 30 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool. Flip the squash so that the cut side faces up to speed up the cooling.
    5) Once the butternut squash is cooled, peel it, and scrape out the flesh to a plate.
    6) Place and process butternut squash flesh in the food processor (or blender), working in batches, if necessary.
    cooked butternut squash in a food processor
    7) Process it until very smooth and almost creamy.
    butternut squash puree in a food processor
    Now, you have the butternut squash puree ready to use in this recipe.  You will need only 1 cup of it.

    How to make butternut squash gnocchi (the directions)

    Cook sliced sausage in a large, high-sided skillet for about 5 minutes.

    cooked sliced sausage in a stainless steel pan
    To the same skillet with sausage, add uncooked potato gnocchi.

    cooked sausage and potato gnocchi in a stainless steel pan

    Add heavy cream and chicken stock.
    gnocchi, sausage, and cream in a stainless steel pan

    Bring to a boil on medium heat and stir everything well. Cover with lid, and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, while the sauce boils.

    cooked gnocchi and sausage with cream in a stainless steel pan

    Now, add butternut squash puree and minced garlic.

    garlic and butternut squash with gnocchi and sausage in a stainless steel pan

    Stir everything well and cook on medium heat until the gnocchi are cooked through and the sauce thickens.

    creamy butternut squash sauce with gnocchi and sausage in a stainless steel pan

    Add fresh sage and fresh thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper.

    How to store and reheat butternut squash gnocchi

    Because the sauce is made only with heavy cream, chicken broth, butternut squash puree, and without any cheese, this recipe is incredibly easy to store and reheat.  It's also a great dish to make ahead.

    • Fridge. Store butternut squash gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • Freezer.  Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
    • Reheat in the microwave oven.  Reheat the refrigerated butternut squash gnocchi in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Taste and reheat for 30 seconds more, if needed.
    • Reheat on the stovetop. You can also reheat this in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat.  When using this method, add a small amount of heavy cream, or half-and-half, or milk to thin out the sauce when reheating.

    What to serve with butternut squash gnocchi

    Because this recipe features a rich and luscious cream sauce, a slice of bread or a simple salad will work the best.

    • Bread.  Serve this with a slice of warm Italian bread, garlic bread, or olive bread loaf.  If you want to venture out and make your own simple loaf - try this easy bread recipe made in a bread machine.
    • Simple salad. Serve this pasta with a simple spinach salad with pine nuts and Parmesan or cranberry spinach salad with cashews and goat cheese.  Or, pair the pasta with the colorful and easy-to-make arugula salad with apples, cranberries, and pecans.

    Delicious butternut squash salads

    If you like all things butternut squash, serve this sausage gnocchi with a delicious Autumn salad:

    • Fall Salad with Butternut Squash, Arugula, Dried Figs, and Almonds
    • Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds, and Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing

    Other butternut squash main course recipes

    If you enjoyed this creamy butternut squash gnocchi with sausage, you might like other Fall-inspired main courses, such as these:

    • Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
    • Creamy Ground Turkey Pasta with Butternut Squash and Spinach
    • Autumn Chicken Dinner with Roasted Vegetables (Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts)
    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage in a stainless steel pan
    4.81 from 163 votes

    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage

    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage is the ultimate Autumn comfort food.   This one-pan recipe takes only 40 minutes to make!  It's simple and quick enough to make on a busy weeknight, yet it looks sophisticated and presentable to serve as the main course for friends and family on a special night.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories per serving 674 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 12 oz Italian sausage casings removed (I used 3 sausage links)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 10 oz potato gnocchi
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • 1 cup butternut squash puree
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
    • salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions 

    • Remove sausage from casings and slice it.
    • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet.
    • Add sliced sausage and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes on one side, without turning, to get the sausage slices browned. Flip over to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
    • To the same skillet with sausage, add uncooked potato gnocchi, heavy cream, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil on medium heat and stir everything well. Cover with lid, and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, while the sauce boils.
    • To the same pan with gnocchi and sausage, add butternut squash puree, and minced garlic. Bring the sauce to a boil on medium heat, reduce to low-medium heat, stir everything well. Cook for about 3 or more minutes. Make sure the gnocchi are cooked through, the garlic is cooked to your liking, and the sauce thickens. Cook longer if you would like a thicker sauce. Remove from heat.
    • Stir in half of the fresh sage and half of the fresh thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper.
    • Tip: use your best judgment about the salt. If the sausage is salty enough, you might not need to add any extra salt.
    • When serving, top with the remaining half of the fresh sage and the remaining half of the fresh thyme.

    Notes

    • The total cooking time does not include the time required for roasting the butternut squash and making the butternut squash puree.  I recommend that you do that in advance.
    • Because you will be roasting whole butternut squash, you will have more than you need (1 cup) for this recipe.  Refrigerate or freeze the leftover butternut squash puree in an airtight container.
    • If using dried thyme, use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme (not powdered) or ¼ teaspoon of powdered dried thyme.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    674
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    53
    g
    82
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    24
    g
    150
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    21
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    146
    mg
    49
    %
    Sodium
     
    994
    mg
    43
    %
    Potassium
     
    450
    mg
    13
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    34
    g
    11
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    17
    g
    34
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    4762
    IU
    95
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    18
    mg
    22
    %
    Calcium
     
    125
    mg
    13
    %
    Iron
     
    5
    mg
    28
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword butternut squash gnocchi, gnocchi with sausage
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
    « Fall Salad with Butternut Squash, Arugula, Dried Figs, and Almonds
    Garlic Butter Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash »
    108.0K shares
    • Facebook2.2K

    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dianne

      November 15, 2022 at 11:53 am

      Can the gnocchi be frozen or should they be defrosted?

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 18, 2022 at 3:49 pm

        Dianne, you can use frozen gnocchi - you don't have to defrost them - add them frozen. They might take just a bit longer to cook.

        Reply
    2. Sandra

      November 04, 2022 at 10:30 pm

      Can I replace the cream with Greek yogurt?

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 07, 2022 at 2:02 am

        Sandra, I am not sure how Greek yogurt would reheat - I've never tried it. But, if you want to reduce fat content, you can use milk and cornstarch. Or milk and roux.

        Reply
    3. Amy

      November 02, 2022 at 9:04 pm

      This was delish! My 2 yr old and 5 yr old also ate it up! I followed your recipe and it was amazing! Next time I plan to swap half and half and add spinach to it!

      Reply
      • Debbie

        November 04, 2022 at 4:02 pm

        I'm vegan, so will use vegan sausage, veggie broth and coconut milk.

        Reply
        • Julia

          November 07, 2022 at 2:26 am

          Debbie, that's a great plan to make this vegan! Thank you for sharing!

          Reply
      • Julia

        November 07, 2022 at 1:06 pm

        Amy, I am so happy everyone enjoyed this dish, including your kids! Half-and-half would work great here (and you can even add more butternut squash puree in this case!) and adding spinach is a great idea too! 🙂

        Reply
        • Jordan

          November 10, 2022 at 4:30 pm

          Any thoughts on how frozen Gnocchi would work? Would you add it in or boil it ahead?

          Reply
          • Julia

            November 11, 2022 at 5:50 pm

            Jordan, Don't thaw them. Just throw them frozen into the sauce and cook them in the same manner as the recipe instructs but a bit longer - frozen gnocchi will take a longer time to cook. Enjoy!

            Reply
    4. Amanda

      October 25, 2022 at 7:56 pm

      Ok, not to be rude, but I did not think this recipe was going to be THAT good. I chose to try it because it looked good enough, easy to make after work, something I could convince my kids was essentially Mac and cheese, and that I could lighten up a little. But OMG this is my new favorite meal. I want to make it again tomorrow. Seriously. I did use half and half instead of cream, and chicken Italian sausage instead of pork sausage, but it still turned out so yummy. I’m so excited to have a new go to recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 26, 2022 at 7:41 pm

        Amanda, your comment made my day and made me smile at the same time (smile at the part where you convinced your kids it's essentially mac and cheese 🙂 ). So glad you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for such a lighthearted and positive comment! Good to know that half and half work well and so did chicken sausage!

        Reply
    5. Karen

      October 17, 2022 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Julia, this recipe looks perfect for my festive fall pumpkin carving party that I am planning on hosting later this week! Therefore, I would like to double the recipe so that it serves 8-10 people. Do you think it would cook as well in a large stock pot? Otherwise, what would you recommend? I look forward to your reply!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 7:44 pm

        Karen, I am very sorry for the late response. Yes, you can double this recipe and just use a larger stock pot - it would work great!

        Reply
    6. Steph

      October 16, 2022 at 9:07 am

      Hi!
      The recipe looks DELICIOUS! How do you think this would be using cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s??

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 8:08 pm

        Steph, this recipe would be amazing with cauliflower gnocchi! You don't even have to change anything.

        Reply
    7. Melanie

      October 13, 2022 at 9:45 pm

      Made this tonight for dinner, and it was pure heaven! It was absolutely delicious and quite simple to make!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 8:36 pm

        Melanie, I am very flattered by your comment - glad the recipe was enjoyed! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Audrianna

      October 12, 2022 at 9:20 am

      I plan on making this tonight but I would like to sear the gnocchi too, do you think that’s okay?

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 9:08 pm

        Audrianna, searing the gnocchi would be delicious!

        Reply
    9. Kaci

      October 04, 2022 at 8:40 pm

      I made this tonight and it was very food! However I roasted garlic in the oven at the same time as the butternut and then blended that into the purée along with red chili flakes/seasonings. So yummy!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 05, 2022 at 3:32 pm

        Kaci, I love that you blended roasted garlic with the puree - that sounds so good! I am a big fan of garlic (raw and cooked)!

        Reply
    10. Sara

      September 26, 2022 at 1:57 pm

      Is the Italian sausage to be smoked or fresh sausage?
      Thanks for your help!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 02, 2022 at 6:32 pm

        Sara, I used UNCOOKED Italian sausage (raw meat) that I had to cook. In this recipe, I used Italian sausage links (raw), removed the casings, sliced the sausage, and cooked it.

        Reply
        • Caitlin

          November 26, 2022 at 10:12 pm

          Hi! Recipe looks great! Do you think I can substitute canned pumpkin in place of the roasted butternut squash? Just because that’s what I have to use up. Thanks!

          Reply
          • Julia

            December 06, 2022 at 1:26 am

            Caitlin, yes, you can definitely use canned pumpkin instead of roasted butternut squash - it would be just as delicious! And, I am sorry for the late response.

            Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    photo of the content-creator Julia from JuliasAlbum.com site - she is wearing a yellow sweater against the Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia! Welcome to my recipe blog where I share easy-to-make weeknight dinners and other recipes using simple ingredients!

    I make and test all of the recipes presented on this site.

    I also do all of the writing and the original food photography (and sometimes travel) for JuliasAlbum.com. My recipes are everyday, familiar foods, cooked from scratch. I hope you enjoy them and let me know your feedback in the comments!

    More about me →

    Summer Favorites

    • Greek Orzo
    • Chicken Spaghetti with Burrata and Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce
    • Tomato Spinach Chicken Spaghetti in a large stainless steel skillet
      Tomato Spinach Chicken Spaghetti
    • Chicken Pesto Bow-Tie Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Pine Nuts on a plate
      Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

    JOIN ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy and Disclosure

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    About

    • About
    • Featured On
    • Contact Me

    Connect on Social Media

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram

    Copyright © 2023 JuliasAlbum.com

    Site Design: Foodie Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.