Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage

Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage

from juliasalbum.com
40 min
4 servings

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.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz Italian sausage (casings removed (I used 3 sausage links))
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 10 oz potato gnocchi
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 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)

Directions

  1. 1

    Remove sausage from casings and slice it.

  2. 2

    Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet.

  3. 3

    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.

  4. 4

    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.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    Stir in half of the fresh sage and half of the fresh thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper.

  7. 7

    Tip: use your best judgment about the salt. If the sausage is salty enough, you might not need to add any extra salt.

  8. 8

    When serving, top with the remaining half of the fresh sage and the remaining half of the fresh thyme.