Guest Post: Butternut Squash Gnocchi Sauce

Here's a guest post from my fabulous blogger friend Elsie over at Richly Rooted. We met each other while studying abroad in Oxford four years ago and we were even in a dinner group together! I am so excited that we are blogger friends now and I get to keep up with all of the healthy, inspiring meals, series and ideas that Elsie comes up with.

Back in August, Grace shared these fabulous Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts on my blog, Richly Rooted.

Since tomatoes are an iconic produce pick for August, I thought I'd share a recipe that showcases a fall favorite: squash!


Squash is a perfect fall food. The colors match what we see in the changing leaves, and squash is the perfect ingredient to make a dish hearty and filling.

The sausage in this recipe compliments the natural sweetness of the squash, but the salt and herbs keep the dish savory, too. We used this sauce over gnocchi, but it would also be good over macaroni.

Purchase gnocchi pre-made from the store or try your hand at making it yourself. My husband and I used this recipe for making gnocchi. If you do make gnocchi from scratch, you'll want to start baking the potatoes before you begin the sauce, since that will take a while.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Gnocchi Sauce 
(Makes about 4 servings)
1/2 butternut squash
1/4 lb. bulk sausage
whole milk
1/2 to 1 tsp salt (to taste)
fresh sage and basil

1. Poke holes in the skin of the butternut squash and bake, face down, at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until soft.
2. Break up the sausage and cook in a skillet over medium heat.
3. When the squash is soft, scoop out the flesh and put into a blender. Cover blender firmly and puree squash, adding milk to reach desired sauce consistency.
4. Add salt and a handful of fresh basil and sage. Blend.
5. Put squash mixture into a saucepan; stir in cooked sausage. Heat through. Pour over gnocchi.

Follow Elsie's blogging adventures here on Facebook, too.