30-Minute Dinner/ Chicken Recipes/ Dinner

Chicken and Gnocchi in Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce

24 October 2022 | Last Updated: 11 March 2023 By Aleksandra

This chicken and gnocchi in creamy butternut squash sauce make a quick weeknight dinner that everyone loves. Crispy well-seasoned chicken, creamy delicious butternut squash parmesan sauce, gnocchi, and sun-dried tomatoes. This dish is so easy and so flavorful!

Chicken and Gnocchi in Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce in a frying pan.

Ingredients

Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.

Here’s what you need to make this easy dish:

Labeled ingredients for Chicken and Gnocchi in Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce.
  • chicken breast – seasoned with basil and paprika and dredged in flour (don’t omit the flour! it makes the chicken crispy and super juicy!)
  • butternut squash or pumpkin puree – ditch the canned stuff and make your own! all you have to do is cut squash/pumpkin into large chunks (or even just in half) and roast until soft, scoop out the flesh (no need to peel it beforehand!) and puree with a mixer! tastes SO MUCH better than puree from a can
  • sun-dried tomatoes – must be in a jar and submerged in oil – first, they taste better, and secondly, you have a delicious and super flavorful oil that you can use to cook the chicken and infuse it with even more flavor! Here you can find all my sun-dried tomato recipes.
  • onion and fresh garlic
  • heavy cream AND sour cream – must use both! heavy cream makes the sauce creamy and a touch of sour cream adds a delicious tang to the sauce
  • chicken broth and parmesan – add another layer of deliciousness to the sauce
  • gnocchi – use store-bought or make these ricotta gnocchi

How to make it step by step

Chopped ingredients on a wooden board. Diced chicken with spices in a white bowl.

STEP 1: Prepare your ingredients: Roughly chop sun-dried tomatoes, grate Parmesan on the small holes of a box grater, dice the onion, finely chop garlic.

STEP 2: Prepare the chicken: In a medium/large bowl, combine flour with paprika, basil, salt, and pepper. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and add to the bowl. Toss with the flour mixture until coated on all sides. If there is some dry flour left in the bowl, add a couple of drops of water to it and toss again with the chicken until it’s coated in all the flour mixture.

Pan-fried chicken in a pan. Sauteed onions in a pan.

STEP 3: Cook the chicken: Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large frying pan over medium-high/high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer. Cook until well-browned on one side, turn over, and cook until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

STEP 4: Cook the butternut squash sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low, add onion to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Broth is being added to a pan with butternut squash puree and cream. Gnocchi in creamy pumpkin sauce in a pan.

STEP 5: Add butternut squash puree, chicken broth, heavy cream, basil, and paprika. Whisk until combined and bring to a boil.

STEP 6: Cook gnocchi in the sauce: Add gnocchi and cook over low heat according to package instructions (mine were saying to cook them for just 2 minutes, if yours require more cooking time, you may need to add more broth to the sauce if it has thickened too much, make sure the sauce is not burning at the bottom).

Creamy butternut squash sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and parmesan in a pan.

STEP 7: Add sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and sour cream. Cook over low heat until parmesan is melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

STEP 8: Add the chicken back to the pan, stir to combine.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Gnocchi in Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce in a frying pan.

Storage

This dish reheats really well. Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and simply reheat in a pan. Tastes divine!

More delicious butternut squash recipes for you to try

Chicken and Gnocchi in Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce in a white bowl.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!

Chicken and Gnocchi in Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce

This chicken and gnocchi in creamy butternut squash sauce make a quick weeknight dinner that everyone loves. Crispy well-seasoned chicken, creamy delicious butternut squash parmesan sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes. This dish is so easy and so flavorful!
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Chicken and gnocchi in creamy butternut squash sauce in a white bowl.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 525kcal
Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the chicken:

  • 1 lb (450g) chicken breast
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomato jar

remaining ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup butternut squash or pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/4 (300ml) cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon basil
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  • 1/2 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 lb (450g) fresh gnocchi
  • salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

  • Prepare your ingredients: Roughly chop sun-dried tomatoes, grate Parmesan on the small holes of a box grater, dice the onion, finely chop garlic.
  • Prepare the chicken: In a medium/large bowl, combine flour with paprika, basil, salt, and pepper. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and add to the bowl. Toss with the flour mixture until coated on all sides. If there is some dry flour left in the bowl, add a couple of drops of water to it and toss again with the chicken until it's coated in all the flour mixture.
  • Cook the chicken: Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large frying pan over medium-high/high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer. Cook until well-browned on one side, turn over, and cook until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
  • Cook the butternut squash sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low, add onion to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add butternut squash puree, chicken broth, heavy cream, basil, and paprika. Whisk until combined and bring to a boil.
  • Cook gnocchi in the sauce: Add gnocchi and cook over low heat according to package instructions (mine were saying to cook them for just 2 minutes, if yours require more cooking time, you may need to add more broth to the sauce if it has thickened too much, make sure the sauce is not burning at the bottom).
  • Add sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and sour cream. Cook over low heat until parmesan is melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan, stir to combine.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Butternut squash or pumpkin puree – ditch the canned stuff and make your own! All you have to do is cut squash/pumpkin into large chunks (or even just in half) and roast until soft (at 400F/200C), scoop out the flesh (no need to peel it beforehand) and puree with a mixer. It tastes so much better than puree from a can. The baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chunks – it will take from 20 minutes to an hour. More detailed instructions can be found in this post: how to make pumpkin or butternut squash puree.
  • Calories = 1 serving (1/4 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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