Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Italian Sausage

5 from 2 votes

Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Italian Sausage

Short on time but craving something delicious? Our Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi Skillet with Italian Sausage is the answer. This effortless one-pan dish combines store-bought gnocchi and butternut squash soup with flavorful Italian sausage, creating a restaurant-worthy meal in under 30 minutes. It's proof that delicious food is not always difficult.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian-Fusion

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 771kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

large skillet

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds Italian sausage removed from the casings
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion diced
½ -1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional and to taste
12-14 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
16 ounces gnocchi
16 ounces Zoup! Butternut Squash Soup 1 jar
¾ cup water
¾ cup heavy cream
4 ounces parmesan freshly grated
8 ounces spinach chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to a hot skillet over medium-high heat, followed by Italian sausage. Cook until browned and cooked through completely. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 pounds Italian sausage
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and in the same pan, without draining it, add the butter, followed by the onions with a large pinch of salt to cook. Cook until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes, then add in the sage, thyme, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds - 1 minute.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large yellow onion, ½ -1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 12-14 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh sage, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Add the gnocchi to the pan and toss to coat in the garlic, herbs, onion, and spices for a few seconds, then immediately pour in the Zoup! butternut squash soup, heavy cream, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil for about 3-4 minutes to cook the gnocchi, stirring occasionally. (Please note - it may take longer to cook the gnocchi depending on the brand, pay attention to your individual package directions and cook until the gnocchi is soft.
16 ounces gnocchi, 16 ounces Zoup! Butternut Squash Soup, ¾ cup water, ¾ cup heavy cream
After the gnocchi is pillowy soft, add parmesan cheese, spinach, and black pepper. Stir to wilt the spinach and melt the cheese.
4 ounces parmesan, 8 ounces spinach, ½ teaspoon black pepper
To finish the dish, simply add back the Italian sausage, stir to combine, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Now, garnish with more parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Video

View this post on Instagram

Notes

Make sure all of the ingredients are prepped ahead of time. This dish comes together so fast, you'll want to make sure everything is all prepped and ready to go before beginning. This will make cooking really easy!

Adjust heat to taste. We like a little kick of heat in our food, but feel free to leave the red pepper flakes out, or scale them back if you prefer!

Take it easy on the salt. This is one of those dishes we recommend salting lightly because multiple elements bring a lot of salt into the dish. Your Italian sausage may be very salty on its own, and then there's the parmesan cheese as well. Add some salt to the onions, but then be careful about adding too much more until the cheese is added! Taste, then adjust.

Don't burn the garlic. It's important to keep the heat on low when sautéing the garlic, or it can easily burn. Burnt garlic can give the dish a bitter taste, and no one wants that! Stir constantly to prevent it from sticking, and keep the liquids close by to deglaze the pan.

Don't pre-boil the gnocchi. Seriously! There's no need! It comes together perfectly fine in the sauce, trust us! Why make extra dishes when everything can come together in one pan?

Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best melt. Cheese that comes pre-shredded from the store has anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting properly. For a nice creamy, smooth sauce, shred the cheese yourself.

Nutrition