Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage (one-pot!)

5 from 9 votes

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage (one-pot!)

This one-pot butternut squash gnocchi is everything I love about cozy fall dinners...comforting, hearty, and full of flavor—yet on the table in about 35 minutes. Frozen butternut squash keeps things easy, while ground pork (or chicken, if that’s your thing) brings a rich, savory base. Everything simmers together with gnocchi before a little cream cheese and Parmesan are stirred in at the end for a perfectly creamy sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash dinner recipes, fall dinner recipes, frozen butternut squash recipes, one pot dinner

Servings: servings

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Taesha Butler

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil divided
1 pound lean ground pork (see note to sub ground turkey or chicken)
1 teaspoons kosher salt divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
1½ teaspoons dried sage divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 cloves garlic minced
16 ounce bag frozen butternut squash (see note to use fresh squash)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12-16 ounce package potato gnocchi the shelf stable kind you find in the pasta aisle. Use gluten-free if needed.
2 ounces cream cheese I used reduced fat
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese + extra for serving
2-3 cups baby spinach

Instructions

Add 1 teaspoon oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground pork. Sprinkle the pork with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Break into large crumbles.
Once the meat is browned and cooked through (about 7 minutes), drain off the excess fat, then transfer the pork to a plate lined with paper towels. Wipe extra fat from your skillet.
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown. About 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and frozen squash. Bring to a simmer and then cook for 2 minutes to soften the squash. Add the gnocchi and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to cook the gnocchi through.
Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and cooked pork. Season with remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon dried sage, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Allow the sauce to thicken for 3 to 4 minutes. If the gnocchi has absorbed all the liquid, stir in an additional ½ cup of chicken broth or water.
Remove from heat. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt in the hot sauce for about 1 minute.
Taste the gnocchi dish and add more salt, pepper or seasoning, as needed.
Serve with additional Parmesan sprinkled on top. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

To use ground turkey or chicken, increase the amount of olive oil to one tablespoon when browning the meat. You won’t need to drain any fat after browning. Just transfer to a plate and proceed with the recipe as written.
To use fresh squash, cut the squash into small cubes. Add an additional cup of broth (3 cups total) then cover and simmer the squash until tender and easily mashed with a fork, about 15 minutes. Once the squash is cooked, proceed with the recipe as written.
Instead of cream cheese, you can use sour cream or whole milk, plain Greek yogurt.
Nutritional information is calculated based on the fat being drained from the pork after cooking.

Nutrition