Butternut Squash Gnocchi is super light, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!!  The homemade gnocchi is topped with a lemon and sage butter sauce, making it the perfect dinner recipe to impress your guests.

Gluten-free Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Lemon-Sage Sauce on a plate with a blue napkin.

When we moved from our old house this past summer we were worried that we would not be able to find a pizza restaurant we loved as much as the one in our old neighborhood.

But sure enough, it only took a few weeks until we found our new favorite date night spot… Only a few miles down the road.

Just about every time I ask Cohl where he wants to go to dinner he excitedly exclaims, “Let’s go get pizza!”

Seriously?  Again?  You would think I had him figured out by now.

Some nights I am not totally in the mood for pizza.  But this new favorite pizza restaurant of ours?…  It not only has pizza…  It also has the most incredible gnocchi.

An overhead picture of gluten-free Butternut Squash Gnocchi with fresh herbs as a garnish.

Homemade Gnocchi?!

A few years ago I made my first attempt at cooking homemade gnocchi.  It took a lot of work but it was absolutely worth it.

This butternut squash gnocchi is hands-down the best I have had.

Not only is it super light, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious… But it is also slightly lower in carbs than your typical gnocchi dish.

Butternut squash only has 15 carbs per cup while potatoes have more than 25 carbs per cup.

A close up picture of Butternut Squash Gnocchi on a blue plate as a healthy side.

Making the Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Phases:

While this butternut squash gnocchi does take quite a few steps, it is definitely a dish that is sure to impress your dinner guests.

If the butternut squash gnocchi recipe seems too much to tackle in one sitting, no worries!!  There are multiple places where you can pause, refrigerate it, and save the remaining steps for a later time.

A serving of this gnocchi recipe made with butternut squash with a fork on the side.

What’s So Healthy About this Butternut Squash Gnocchi?

While gnocchi is still a bit of a guilty pleasure, I tried to up the nutritional value by including these ingredients:

  • Butternut Squash – rich in Carotenes, Vitamin C & B1, and Folic Acid.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice – excellent source of Vitamin C.
  • Garlic – Anti-inflammatory and full of Anti-oxidants.
  • Spinach – rich in Vitamin K, Carotenes, and Iron.
  • Sage – Flavonoids and potential Blood Sugar-Lowering capabilities.

Two blue plates filled with butternut squash gnocchi for a healthy lunch.

How Can You Evolve this Butternut Squash Gnocchi?

Feel free to change up the recipe as much as you would like!  Here are a few easy swaps:

  • Try a different herb… rosemary and thyme would work great, too!
  • Mix up the greens… try kale or arugula to give the dish even more nutrition.

PIN THIS BUTTERNUT SQUASH GNOCCHI

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5 from 2 votes

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Lemon-Sage Sauce

Yield 6 servings
Prep 1 hour
Cook 30 minutes
Total 1 hour 30 minutes
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Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds butternut squash peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 ½ cups gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend plus more for rolling
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. dried sage
  • 6 Tbsp. butter salted, really good brand
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice fresh
  • 6 cups baby spinach
  • 5-6 sage leaves finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. salt to taste

Instructions 

  • Using a heavy-duty potato peeler, peel the butternut squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add squash and boil for 10-15 minutes. Once squash is fully cooked, place in a colander and drain completely.
  • Add squash to the bowl of a food processor and process for 2 minutes, or until completely smooth.
  • Put squash back into the pot and cook over medium for 5-6 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of butternut squash puree remaining.
  • In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and dried sage. Toss to combine.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add egg and squash puree. Mix by hand until just combined. Dough will likely still be pretty wet. Add additional flour until it barely sticks to your hand. (about ½-¾ cup more.)
  • Lightly dust a cutting board with additional flour. Divide gnocchi dough into 8 equal sections. Working with one section at a time, roll dough out into a ½-¾ inch thick rope. Cut each piece about ¾-inch long. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sections.
  • At this point you can either proceed to boiling the gnocchi or refrigerate them up to 12 hours before cooking.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place half of the gnocchi in carefully. Boil for 15-17 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment paper lined tray.
  • *If you would like to stop at this stage, toss the gnocchi in a bite of olive oil, place in single layers divided by parchment paper in a Tupperware container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
  • While gnocchi is cooking place 3 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook for two minutes, or until garlic is slightly browned.
  • Add gnocchi, being careful not to overlap them, and saute for 5-7 minutes, flipping gnocchi halfway through. Add 3 cups spinach and 3 finely chopped sage leaves. Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until spinach begins to soften. Add salt to taste.
  • Repeat the above three steps for the additional gnocchi and sauce ingredients.
  • Serve gnocchi immediately with additional Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Tap stars to rate!

5 from 2 votes

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 757mg, Potassium: 733mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 19385IU, Vitamin C: 43.6mg, Calcium: 252mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Made this recipe?Leave a comment below!

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Comments

  1. I made this recipe and really enjoyed it, the flavour was scrummy. My gnocchi was a bit gummy and chewy tho and not really light and fluffy -any idea where I might be going wrong?

    1. Yay! So happy you enjoyed the flavors. The gumminess could have been due to over-cooking the gnocchi. It just takes a couple of minutes and as soon as they come to the top they’re ready to remove from the water. Hope this helps!

  2. This butternut squash gnocchi sounds and looks incredible! I love this creative and healthier-looking take on an Italian classic.