This creamy sausage and pumpkin gnocchi dinner is an easy fall weeknight meal featuring a savory pumpkin sauce, turkey sausage, roasted vegetables, and tender gnocchi. Made with canned pumpkin puree and coconut milk, this cozy pumpkin pasta recipe is full of fall flavor, packed with vegetables, dairy-free, and perfect for a family dinner. It’s a delicious way to enjoy pumpkin beyond the usual sweet treats!
When October hits, pumpkin puree goes on my grocery order, on repeat! In the past, I’ve even tried to cook pumpkin dinners all through October. While it’s completely possible, we’ve landed on a few favorite fall dinners that always make their way back onto our October menu.
Some of our favorites include:
- Pumpkin Curry
- Feetloaf Sheet Pan Dinner
- Goulash
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
- Cheesy Pumpkin Sausage Pasta
- Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Enchiladas
- Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Loaded Veggie Cheeseburger Skillet with pumpkin and butternut squash added
- Mummy Dogs with butternut squash soup or chili
- Spider Spaghetti
- Green Goddess Tortellini with Vegetables
- Corn Chowder with jack-o’-lantern quesadillas
- Candy Corn Pizza
- Roasted Feta Harvest Vegetable Pasta
But despite all those pumpkin dinners, I still hadn’t found my favorite pumpkin pasta recipe. Until last week!
I have a Pinterest board where I save recipes throughout the year. While meal planning last week, I pulled up two or three pumpkin pasta recipes and decided to see what I could make with ingredients I already had.
What developed was the perfect savory pumpkin pasta dinner. And the leftovers were even better!
While I was cooking, my husband walked through the kitchen and thought we were having cheese dip for dinner. So, I’ll warn you now: your eyes might play a trick on you! The pumpkin sauce looks creamy and cheesy, but it’s full of savory fall flavors.
This sausage-pumpkin gnocchi dinner was also a great way to sneak in a few extra vegetables. Once everything was stirred together, the roasted squash, zucchini, and tomatoes blended into the sauce, adding richness and texture without being distinguishable.
And the only thing I’d do differently next time? Make sure I have breadsticks to scoop up every last bit of that delicious pumpkin sauce.
Dairy-Free Sausage Pumpkin Gnocchi Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 medium yellow squash diced
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
- 1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Olive oil for sautéing and roasting
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 15 oz. can coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 16 ounces Trader Joes pumpkin gnocci or your favorite pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cook the turkey breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and fully cooked.
- While the sausage cooks, dice the zucchini and yellow squash and spread them on one end of a sheet pan. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and add them to the other end. Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
- Roast the vegetables at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Once the sausage is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Dice the onion and bell pepper. Add them to the skillet with a little olive oil or the remaining sausage drippings. Sauté until softened and the edges begin to brown.
- Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet and add the minced garlic. Cook briefly until fragrant.
- Return the cooked sausage to the skillet.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet for extra flavor.
- Add the pumpkin puree, black pepper, seasoning salt, thyme, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until combined.
- Shake the can of coconut milk before opening, then pour it into the pumpkin sauce. Stir everything together and simmer over low heat until the sauce begins to bubble gently.
- Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi or pasta according to the package directions.
- When the roasted vegetables are finished, add them to the pumpkin sauce and stir everything together.
- Serve the creamy sausage pumpkin sauce over warm gnocchi or pasta.
Notes
- Make it your own: English peas would be another great addition to this dish. My family doesn’t love them, so I left them out.
- Gnocchi or pasta? Either works! I love the soft, pillowy texture of gnocchi with this creamy pumpkin sauce, but you can use whatever pasta you have on hand.
- Storing leftovers: Store the gnocchi or pasta separately from the pumpkin sauce in airtight containers in the refrigerator. This prevents the pasta from soaking up all the sauce while it sits. Reheat the sauce gently, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed.
- What to serve with pumpkin gnocchi: Don’t forget the bread! Crescent rolls, garlic toast, or warm breadsticks are perfect for scooping up the extra pumpkin sauce.
A Cozy Fall Dinner Worth Repeating
I love finding new ways to use pumpkin in savory recipes, especially when they become an easy weeknight dinner my family enjoys. This one checked all the boxes: simple ingredients, plenty of vegetables, a rich, creamy sauce, and leftovers that tasted even better the next day.
Whether you’re looking for a new pumpkin dinner idea, an easy fall pasta recipe, or something different for your October meal plan, this sausage-and-pumpkin gnocchi dinner is worth trying.
And seriously, don’t forget the breadsticks!
