Butternut Squash Gnocchi (With Sausage And Kale)
on Oct 21, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
After just 15 minutes hands-on prep, this butternut squash gnocchi becomes a one pan dish packed with crowd-pleasing sausage and wholesome butternut squash and kale. No need for any side dishes!
Tasty comfort food at its best
This butternut squash gnocchi is a little bit of everything – oozy, cheesy and comforting, but also tasty, on the healthier side, and very easy to make with relatively few ingredients. It might just be the perfect family dinner!
There’s no shortage of flavor in this. Sausage always makes for a great hit of taste. The rich tomato sauce contains fennel seeds, garlic, fresh basil and a little splash of balsamic vinegar to add a bit more ‘oomph’.
And then there’s the roasted butternut squash and kale to make you feel all smug about eating a balanced dinner with relatively little effort.
📌Recipe snapshot
- Prep in around 15 minutes (the oven does the rest of the work)
- Comfort food meets healthy
- No side dishes necessary.
- A perfect family friendly midweek dinner
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- Butternut squash: For convenience, use ready-chopped fresh or frozen butternut squash. Pumpkin works, too.
- Kale: Again for convenience, I like to get ready-chopped and washed kale. If washing and chopping yourself, make sure you remove any tough stems. Spinach is a good alternative.
- Potato gnocchi: I prefer to grab a package of gnocchi from the refrigerator section at the supermarket rather than the shelf stable gnocchi you can often find in the pasta aisle. Note: This homemade ricotta gnocchi is wonderful but probably not suitable for this recipe as it may not hold up well stirred into a gnocchi bake.
- Olive oil: For cooking.
- Onion: Any kind – red or regular (red are sweeter, regular white or brown onions are stronger).
- Garlic
- Pork sausages: I recommend choosing a good quality and tasty pork sausage with a high percentage of meat in it. Italian sausages are a good option. A well seasoned, good quality ground sausage could work well in this gnocchi bake recipe, too.
- Fennel seeds: You’ll only need around half a teaspoon of these to add plenty of sweet, herbal flavor. Alternatively, you could add some sliced fresh fennel at the same time as the onions.
- Dried thyme: Mixed Italian herbs are a good substitute.
- Passata: This is a smooth tomato puree made from ripe tomatoes. You can usually find it in a bottle in the pasta sauce aisle. However, in a pinch you can use canned crushed tomatoes. Just pulse them in a food processor until they are smooth.
- Fresh basil: I like to add most of a small bunch – or around a cup. If you only have dried, that’s OK too – add around a tablespoon.
- Salt and pepper: Add this to the sauce to taste, but you won’t need very much. Usually, there’s already plenty of salt and pepper in sausages, and cheese adds salty flavor, too.
- Mozzarella: A ripped-up ball of mozzarella dotted over the top adds delicious cheesy ooze! Mini mozzarella balls, or even grated mozzarella would work, too.
- Parmesan cheese: For sprinkling over the top before baking.
How to make this butternut squash gnocchi
Make this all-in-one gnocchi bake in just a few simple steps:
Start by preparing the vegetables and gnocchi. Roast the butternut squash, and boil the kale and gnocchi. Mostly I use ready-chopped (either fresh or frozen) squash and kale, but it’s fine to chop your own, too.
While you’re waiting for the butternut squash to roast, you can also make the quick sausage sauce. Simply pan-fry the onion and garlic, then squeeze the sausage out of their casings and straight into the pan. Break them up with a wooden spoon as they cook.
Sprinkle over the dried herbs and seasoning. Then stir in the passata and basil, plus half a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar if you like.
Now stir the kale and gnocchi into the sauce.
Empty the mixture into a baking dish. Scatter ripped mozzarella and grated parmesan over the top.
Finally, bake for around 20 minutes until oozy and bubbling on top.
Helen’s Top Tips
- To prep ahead: Assemble the bake fully, then cover with aluminium foil and store in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook it, bake for around 30 to 35 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
- Handy shortcuts: Use ready chopped and washed kale, store-bought gnocchi, and ready-chopped butternut squash (or pumpkin) to save time. Fresh or frozen are both fine.
- How to serve: Either serve the butternut squash gnocchi simply, as it is, or with a simple fresh green salad or extra green vegetables on the side. Try sauteed frozen broccoli or sauteed frozen green beans!
- Variation: Don’t have any parmesan? Try making a quick batch of this pangrattato instead. You could call it poor man’s parmesan, and you won’t believe how delicious it is!
More easy comfort food
- Love gnocchi? Arrive home to this Olive Garden copycat crockpot chicken gnocchi soup. Or make this quick baked gnocchi with sausage, peppers and tomatoes, and no one will be complaining.
- Greek macaroni cheese is much lighter than a classic mac n cheese, and you’ll love the interesting Mediterranean twist.
- Butternut squash season? I’ve been making this chicken and butternut squash curry for years for good reason. It serves at least six, or you can freeze portions for later.
- Spend a little time chopping the vegetables, then this creamy lemon chicken orzo soup will be on the table in no time.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi (With Sausage And Kale)
Store-bought gnocchi with butternut squash, sausage, kale and a tomato, fennel & basil sauce stirred through it – dotted with mozzarella and parmesan and baked until bubbling. This makes for a wholesome and very tasty one-pot mid-week meal!
Ingredients
- 3½ cups butternut squash, cubed or chopped into smallish pieces (ready-chopped, either fresh or frozen, is convenient) – about half a butternut squash
- 4 cups kale, chopped (I use ready-chopped and washed but if washing and chopping yourself, remove any tough stems)
- 17 ounces gnocchi, or about 4 cups (I like store-bought gnocchi from the refrigerator section)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, roughly, for cooking
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 pork sausages, good quality, or 12 to 14 ounces of ground sausage
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1¾ cups passata, (smooth, strained, uncooked tomato puree – usually found near the pasta sauces)
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, (optional, it just adds some depth of flavor to the sauce)
- 1 small bunch fresh basil, washed and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, optional
- 1 ball mozzarella, torn into pieces
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 390F/200C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Scatter the cubed/chopped butternut squash over it, then toss with around two tablespoons of the olive oil, and a little salt and pepper (if you like). Roast for around 30 minutes or until golden and soft, tossing half way through.3½ cups butternut squash, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Cook the kale in a large saucepan of boiling water for around 5 minutes. Then add the gnocchi to the water and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.4 cups kale, 17 ounces gnocchi
- Heat up the rest of the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium high heat. Cook the onion, stirring, for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic.1 onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Run a knife down the side of the sausages and squeeze the meat out into the pan. Cook the sausage, breaking it up as you go. Then stir in the thyme, fennel seeds, passata, basil, pepper and balsamic vinegar (if you like).4 pork sausages, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1¾ cups passata, ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 small bunch fresh basil, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Now stir the roasted butternut squash, kale and gnocchi into the tomato and sausage sauce. Empty the mixture into a medium-sized baking dish. Dot the mozzarella pieces over the top and sprinkle over the parmesan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbling.1 ball mozzarella, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
Notes
Prepping ahead: You can fully assemble the gnocchi bake earlier in the day, cover with foil, and store in the fridge until ready to cook. When ready, bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Take the foil off around 10 to 15 minutes before the end of cooking to let the top brown slightly.
Butternut squash: You can easily replace the butternut squash with regular pumpkin if you prefer. Sweet potato would work, too.
Storage instructions after cooking: Leftovers will keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge (either covered tightly or in an airtight container). Reheat separate portions covered in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until piping hot. If it looks at all dry, add a drizzle of water before microwaving.
You can also reheat in the oven. Just cover with foil and reheat at 355F/180C for around 20 minutes or until hot again, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 955kcal, Carbohydrates: 73g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 57g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 25g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 1664mg, Potassium: 1378mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 16326IU, Vitamin C: 61mg, Calcium: 572mg, Iron: 10mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Made this last night Helen, really delicious and plenty left over for tonight. (I’m out all day today so have this to look forward to when I get home 😊)
Love your recipes and receiving the Emails, thank you very much.
Oh I’m so happy to read this, Julie! Thank you so much for letting me know – this kind of comment always makes my day. Also thank you for trying out this recipe. I made it again recently myself and was reminded that it’s a good one. Glad you have some leftovers, too. It reheats pretty well, and is even quite nice with an egg on top if you don’t quite have enough. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello Helen,
I made this tonight and served it with a spinach salad.
Good comfort food, and my two ‘safe’ guests and myself really enjoyed the dish. I am not fond of pasta, but really do like gnocchi.
I did make some adjustments , don’t you just love it, or not, when people do this.?
The store had regular potato gnocchi and next to it I saw butternut gnocchi, imported from Italy, on sale, so this is what I used.
I also substituted the cheese for Monterey Jack as this is what I had in my fridge, and wanted to use it up.
I was happy to find Passata in the store, as it’s not very well known here.
I followed the rest of the recipe as written. Thanks Helen for another great tasty recipe. And, it will be made again.
My next cook will be your squash soup.
I appreciate you posting these recipes, as we are in pumpkin, and root vegetable season here in Canada. Happy Spring
Blessings Yvonne
Hello Yvonne! I’m so glad you appreciated this recipe! I love that you chose butternut gnocchi. That’s the first thing I tried to make when I first met my now husband and it was a disaster!! Glad you could find passata. I now know it’s hard to get in some places. Really though you could just use a blended can of chopped tomatoes, although that’s extra work! Pasta sauce would work too… Anyway, so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback. Best wishes, Helen
Just made this and loved it! Really nice. We used veggie sausages as I’m veggie and pumpkin from the garden. Just yummy and nic and easy too 🙂
Hi Rose! Really happy you gave this a go and enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reporting back. I LOVE that you used pumpkin from your garden. One day I will have this too… 😉
Hello Helen — Just wanted to pop in and say I made this last week and it was so yummy! Even better the next day, I think. I used organic Italian chicken sausage and I did not precook the gnocchi at all. The package directions said to cook for 2-5 minutes so by just throwing in there with the other ingredients and baking it, it did beautifully!
I love the squash addition for health reasons, of course, but also the element of sweet it adds. Seriosly, everyone, this is so easy and a great make-ahead. I made it in the afternoon and baked it that night! Thanks, wonderful and creative, Helen!
Hi, Lori. You have no idea how happy this makes me! Thanks so much for letting me know … and also for the tip to not bother pre-cooking the gnocchi. Makes the whole thing even easier. Actually, I think I might even add a note to the recipe to let readers know they can do this if they like. It’s also a great tip to make it ahead – I love that smug feeling you get at dinner time that dinner’s already sorted when you do this.
Thanks again for your support, Lori. I’m very happy that I have a happy customer here!
We avoid of neighbors…haha! I grew up on a big farm with no neighbors and I have decided I am not a very neighborly person. I would rather run in my house without any awkward conversation! 🙂 I do love this dish though! Beautiful flavors!
Hahaha … I love your honesty, Annie … just remind me not to live too near to you, though (lol!) So glad you like the dish – anything with sausage in is a hit with me!
We still have kale growing in the garden and I always love the combo of kale and sausage in recipes! Can’t wait to try this yummy recipe!
Oh, I hope you do, Pamela! I don’t always manage to make kale tender enough, but I bet you do! Glad you like this bake!
Haha love the idea of borrowing her dog! I need to try that. This bake looks so incredibly yummy and cheesy indeed!
Glad you approve, Jessica (of both the dog idea and the bake!)
For the life of me, I do not understand people that you walk right by on an empty road taking a stroll that do not at least nod or say hello! Fears that you will stop them and spark up a long, dull conversation? I don’t know, but just smile at least!
I have a package of gnocchi in my fridge that I need to do something with and I think I found just what to do with t! Sounds yummy!
I know! It’s crazy, isn’t it? I sometimes smile at them first but usually just get (at best) a slightly surprised and weak smile back. Bizarre, huh?
So glad you like the gnocchi bake and hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Baked gnocchi is my absolute ultimate comfort food! This looks so delicious
Hi, Lilli … thanks so much! 🙂
Helen, this looks delicious. It is actually snowing where I live, although it shouldn’t be quite yet….this time of year, bleh and I just need a good, solid comfort casserole. Plus, like you said, nothing complicated here, looks easy to make. And honestly, when it’s cold outside, I don’t mind cooking too much. Although I refuse to get all smug about the addition of kale & squash veggie intake, ha. Love it. Bursting with flavor and who can resist that real mozz on top? We love all our neighbors here, we live near such awesome people, so lucky. Our street is really fun, but not as fun as living in a “flat”!!!
You’re so lucky having good neighbours! I suppose that comes from living something for quite a while though and building up a strong natural rapport. We’ll get there some day when we have our own house!
Anyway, so glad you like the sound of this bake. I promise you it’s easy peasy to make and I really hope you do try it. 😉