Boil the Water: Fill an 8-quart pot halfway with hot tap water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Start the Sauce: Sauté the sausage meat in a nonstick 4.5- to 5-quart sauté pan over medium-high heat until crumbled and browned, 3–5 minutes. (NOTE: Do not drain the pot of the meat’s juices! We want that rich flavor in the sauce.)

Stir in the butter until melted. Add the flour and stir until the sausage is fully coated.

Cook the Gnocchi: Add the salt to the pot of boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Add the gnocchi and stir. Set a timer to cook until al dente (per the package instructions), or to the shortest amount of time given. When done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the gnocchi in a colander in the sink without rinsing it.

While the gnocchi is cooking, return to the sauté pan and add the milk, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper and whisk. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook, whisking occasionally, for 1–2 minutes, until thickened; turn off the heat.

Marry It All: Add the cooked and drained gnocchi to the sauté pan and toss to coat with the sauce. If you find you want a slightly thinner, creamier sauce, add ¼ cup of the reserved gnocchi water at a time and stir until the desired consistency is reached. Serve topped with more pepper, if desired. Goes great with my cheddar popovers!