Description
A rich and comforting fall dinner made with pillowy gnocchi, savory Italian sausage, and wilted spinach in a creamy pumpkin-Parmesan sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, it’s the ultimate one-pan autumn meal.
Ingredients
Gnocchi:
- 1 lb (450 g) gnocchi — store-bought or homemade
Italian Sausage:
- ½ lb (225 g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
Others:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
- ½ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the Gnocchi: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until they float (2–3 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Brown the Sausage: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage; cook until browned, breaking into crumbles. Remove excess grease if needed.
- Add Garlic and Pumpkin: Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add pumpkin purée, cream, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red-pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Combine Everything: Add spinach and cooked gnocchi. Toss until spinach wilts and sauce coats the gnocchi evenly (2–3 minutes).
- Serve: Top with extra Parmesan and freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
- Use chicken sausage for a lighter version.
- Add a splash of pasta water to thin the sauce if it thickens too much.
- Leftovers keep up to 3 days — reheat gently with a touch of cream.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: One Pan / Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1100mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
