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This Butternut Squash Gnocchi recipe is the perfect fall comfort food! Tender gnocchi is tossed in a creamy brown butter sauce and topped with fresh sage, walnuts, and parmesan. It’s a cozy and flavorful dish that’s easy enough to make during busy weeknights!
Why Make Butternut Squash Gnocchi
This easy recipe is to die for! Tender, pillowy gnocchi is made from scratch and packed with all the delicious fall flavors that we’re all craving.
- Perfect for chilly days. Warm and comforting flavors make this the perfect fall and winter dish.
- Homemade gnocchi. Better than store-bought, traditional gnocchi!
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut squash. It’s best to use fresh butternut squash and not frozen. In a pinch, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash. You can also use kabocha squash.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter so you can have more control over the saltiness. Use vegan butter as a substitute.
- All-purpose flour. To make the gnocchi dough. Substitute with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Eggs. You’ll need one whole egg and one egg yolk to bind the dough.
- Walnuts. Toast and chop walnuts before adding. You can also use pecans or pumpkin seeds.
- Sage. I recommend using fresh sage leaves as it adds a lot of flavor to the sauce.
- Seasonings. I seasoned this with nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.
- Parmesan cheese. Set extra aside to sprinkle later. Swap with vegan parmesan to make it dairy-free.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Steps To Make Butternut Squash Gnocchi From Scratch
Step One. Roast the squash until it is tender when pierced with a fork and browned in spots, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Purée the squash with a fork or food processor.
Step Two. In a large mixing bowl, combine puréed squash, flour, parmesan cheese, egg, egg yolk, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper and mix with a spoon until the dough comes together. If the dough is very sticky, add more flour by 1/4 cup at a time.
Step Three. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. On a well-floured surface, form the gnocchi into a “rope” shape about 1 inch thick.
Step Four. Cut the “rope” vertically into small gnocchi-shaped pieces. Add the pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step Five. Working in batches, add the gnocchi to the pot and let them cook for 3-5 minutes. Let gnocchi float to the top, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate.
Step Six. To make the sauce, cook butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat just until golden, stirring often for about 3-4 minutes. Add olive oil next. Then, add sage and the shallot (if using) and cook for 2 minutes until the leaf crips. Add gnocchi and walnuts, cook until heated through and coated with butter, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Pairings
The sage butter sauce goes so well with the gnocchi, but you can also try different sauces, like a creamy garlic sauce or pesto.
This delicious butternut squash gnocchi is already so good on its own, so I like to serve it with a Simple Green Salad or a Crusty Bread.
For a heartier meal, I recommend serving it with Parmesan Chicken Thighs or Lemon Pepper Salmon with Sheet Pan Veggies.
Expert Tips
- Mash the roasted squash while it’s still warm to achieve a smooth puree. Let it cool for a few minutes before making the dough.
- Chill the dough before cutting and rolling into ropes if it feels too soft.
- If the creamy sauce is too thick, you can thin out the sauce by adding vegetable broth or water.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
To make this ahead, roll and cut the gnocchi dough, but don’t cook it. Arrange the cut gnocchi on a parchment-lined baking sheet and store in the fridge for 1-2 days, or freeze gnocchi in an airtight container for up to two months. When ready, thaw in the fridge and cook the gnocchi as instructed.
Store leftover butternut squash gnocchi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Recipe FAQs
Let the pumpkin puree cool completely before mixing it with the dough ingredients. If the dough is still sticky, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes before shaping.
Other Squash Recipes To Try
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1½ lb butternut squash, You will use 1.5 cup butternut squash puree once it’s baked
- ½ tsp olive oil
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 5 cups all purpose flour, and extra for rolling the gnocchi
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Brown butter sauce
- ⅓ cup butter, more if desired
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 sage leaves
- 1 tbsp shallots, minced, (optional)
- ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ tsp salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Peel the skin off of the squash. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds and stringy inside. Cut the squash into 2 inch squares and lay flat on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Roast until squash is very tender when pierced with a fork and browned in spots, about 50 -1 hour.
- Using a potato masher or fork, hand mash the squash into a purée. Try to make it smooth.
- Measure out 1.5 cups of the purée and add to a bowl. If you have leftover purée, eat it as a side dish with melted butter if you’d like!
- In a large mixing bowl, combine squash, flour, Parmesan, egg, egg yolk, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper and mix with a spoon until the dough comes together. If the dough is very sticky, add more flour by 1/4 cup at a time.
- Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. On a well floured surface, roll the 1/4th of dough out into a “rope” shape about 1 inch thick. Cut the “rope” vertically into small gnocchi shaped pieces. Add the pieces to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Continue process until baking sheet it full.
- Let the gnocchi rest in the fridge while bringing water to a boil (use a 4-6 qt pot)
- Working in batches, drop gnocchi in the pot and let them cook for 3-5 minutes until they float to the surface use a slotted (honey) spoon to transfer the gnocchi to a plate.
- Cook butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat just until golden, stirring often for about 3-4 minutes. Add olive oil next.
- Add the fresh sage and the shallot (if using) and cook for 2 minutes until the leaf crips. Add gnocchi and walnuts, cook until heated through and coated with butter, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve gnocchi warm and add additional Parmesan, toasted walnuts, and garnish with crispy sage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
