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Pumpkin Gnocchi Bake

Pumpkin gnocchi bake with a creamy pumpkin sage sauce, baked until the mozzarella turns golden and bubbling. Crumbled Italian sausage keeps the baked gnocchi hearty while the oven finishes everything in one dish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Gnocchi base
  • 1.5 lb potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb Italian sausage crumbled
Pumpkin sage sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pepper and salt to taste
Cheese topping
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a 9x13 baking dish for easy release. Stop and set it aside while you cook the sauce.
Brown sausage
  1. Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet, then drain the fat and set the sausage aside. Keep it warm so it mixes easily with the sauce.
Make the pumpkin sage sauce
  1. Melt butter and sauté garlic and sage for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Let the herbs bloom rather than brown.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and stir until smooth. Scrape the bottom so no garlic bits stick.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. The sauce should slightly thicken and taste balanced.
Assemble and bake
  1. Toss uncooked potato gnocchi in the sauce directly in the baking dish, then mix in the browned Italian sausage. Spread into an even layer so the gnocchi cook through.
  2. Scatter shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan over the top. Aim for full coverage so the cheese forms a golden crust.
  3. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400F until the gnocchi are cooked through, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving so the sauce sets slightly.

Notes

Pro tip: for the best baked texture, spread the gnocchi in a single even layer in the dish so steam circulates and the center cooks through. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because gnocchi can become soft when thawed and reheated. Dietary swap: use lactose-free heavy cream and lactose-free mozzarella if you need a lower-lactose version.