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Pumpkin Gnocchi Bake

Pumpkin gnocchi bake is an Italian-American comfort dinner with pillowy gnocchi tucked into a creamy pumpkin sage sauce and topped with a golden mozzarella crust. You’ll brown Italian sausage, simmer the sauce, then bake until bubbling and fully cooked.
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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: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin sage sauce and bake
  • 1.5 lb potato gnocchi Use uncooked gnocchi.
  • 1 lb Italian sausage Crumble before browning.
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree Use plain pumpkin puree.
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage Chopped.
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Grated.
  • Salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and brown sausage
  1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the gnocchi won’t stick.
  2. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet, then drain excess fat and set the sausage aside.
Build the pumpkin sage sauce
  1. Melt butter in the skillet, then sauté the garlic and sage for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and lightly softened.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes and stir until smooth.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble and bake
  1. Toss the uncooked potato gnocchi in the sauce directly in the greased 9x13 baking dish, then mix in the browned sausage.
  2. Scatter shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan over the top so the surface bakes into a browned crust.
  3. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400F until the gnocchi are cooked through, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is golden.

Notes

To keep the sauce creamy and the gnocchi tender, bake just until bubbling and golden—overbaking can dry the top. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat covered in a 350F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate after thawing. For a lighter swap, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a similar texture.