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Pumpkin Gnocchi With Spinach And Sausage

Pumpkin gnocchi with spinach and sausage in a creamy pumpkin-Parmesan sauce, tossed until the gnocchi is coated and the spinach is just wilted. Golden sausage crumbles and aromatic garlic round out the cozy Italian-American flavors.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 960
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi Follow package cooking instructions.
Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed Brown in skillet and drain excess fat.
baby spinach
  • 4 cup baby spinach Toss at the end until wilted.
garlic
  • 3 clove garlic, minced Sauté briefly in butter.
pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree Simmer with cream and broth to thicken.
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream Adds creaminess to the sauce.
parmesan
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated Use for sauce and finish with extra to serve.
chicken broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth Helps loosen and simmer the sauce.
butter
  • 1 tbsp butter For sautéing garlic and starting the sauce.
nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg Warm spice note in the sauce.
red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes Adds gentle heat.
fresh sage
  • 1 Fresh sage and extra parmesan for serving Top the finished dish.
salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste Season at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown sausage
  1. Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet until browned, then drain the fat and set the sausage aside.
  2. Keep the skillet warm for the next step so you can continue cooking in the same pan.
Make the creamy pumpkin sauce
  1. Melt butter in the same skillet and sauté garlic for 1 minute over medium heat until fragrant.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, parmesan, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes, then simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Cook gnocchi and finish
  1. Cook potato gnocchi according to package instructions, then add the gnocchi to the pumpkin sauce.
  2. Return the sausage to the skillet and add baby spinach, tossing until the spinach is wilted and coated in sauce.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top with fresh sage and extra parmesan for serving.

Notes

For the best sauce texture, simmer only until it coats the back of a spoon—avoid a long boil so the cream doesn’t break. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is not recommended because gnocchi can turn mealy after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a similar creamy finish.