Butternut Squash Gnocchi (With Sausage And Kale)

5 from 2 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: easy main meal

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Helen Schofield

Equipment

medium sized rectangular baking pan (roughly 10 or 11 X 7 inches)

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

cups/ounces - grams/ml

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