One-Pan Sausage Gnocchi

An incredibly delicious tomato cream sauce filled with sausage, gnocchi & spinach make this recipe a family favorite comfort food. It’s quick and easy, ready in 20 minutes, but looks gourmet.

Gnocchi are my favorite little, pillowy potato dumplin’s. I buy the shelf stable gnocchi to have on hand whenever I’m craving dumplin’s, which is often, so often my husband Ty sometimes calls me “Dumplin.” The word “gnocchi” actually means “lumps” in Italy. Fitting, seeing as how gnocchi are little lumps of cooked potato.

Healthy-ish Comfort Food

It is a slightly healthier alternative to white pasta. You can see the ingredients listed on my gnocchi. 70% potato puree, wheat flour, potato starch, salt, herbs & spices.

Protein: To make this dish a lower fat, higher protein Southern Fried Skinnyfied healthier version, choose to use turkey breakfast sausage or extra lean ground beef. For a more indulgent dish, use pork sausage. I love Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Sausage.

Dairy or Dairy Free: I use canned full-fat coconut milk in this recipe to add the creaminess. I always keep some in the pantry because it doesn’t have to be refrigerated until it is opened. You could also use evaporated milk. It is shelf stable like coconut milk. I love heavy cream too but I don’t have it on hand often but if that’s what you have use it!

Consuming coconut milk could improve your cholesterol levels. In one study, people who consumed coconut milk lowered their LDL or “bad” cholesterol while their HDL or “good” cholesterol increased. You may have heard that coconut milk’s saturated fat is a special, healthier type. Coconut is, in part, made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are said to be readily metabolized by the body for energy. However, “the science isn’t there yet to say that coconut is a good saturated fat. It is high in iron, is good for your immune system and can help reduce inflammation.

Greens: You can add a baby kale and spinach mix to this dish or one or the other. Or, just leave it out and eat it as a salad on the side instead to get your healthy greens in!

Serve With

• A piece of toast: YUM! My homemade whole wheat bread would be perfect!

• Parmesan cheese

• Nutritional Yeast: I topped my bowl of gnocchi with nutritional yeast. It’s delicious and very healthy. It taste a bit like parmesan cheese. (You should totally try it on your popcorn. So good). It is made from the same type of yeast used to make bread and brew beer but the yeast are deactivated.
  • It is a complete protein: Nutritional yeast contains all nine essential amino acids that humans must get from food. One tablespoon contains 2 grams of protein.
  • It contains many B vitamins: One tablespoon of nutritional yeast contains 30–180% of the RDI for B Vitamins. When fortified, it is especially rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.
  • It contains trace minerals: One tablespoon contains 2–30% of the RDI for trace minerals, such as zinc, selenium, manganese and molybdenum. Trace minerals are involved in gene regulation, metabolism, growth and immunity 

Here is the brand I use. You can find it on my Amazon page here if you have any trouble finding it at your local grocery store.

One-Pan Sausage Gnocchi

Recipe by Paige MurrayCourse: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

625

kcal

Protein

26 g

Carbs

64 g

Fats

30 g

A creamy tomato sauce with gnocchi dumplin’s & sausage

Ingredients

• 1 pound breakfast sausage of choice (or lean ground beef)

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

• 15 oz crushed tomatoes (optional with basil)

• 1 (17.6 oz) package of gnocchi

• 1 cup of full fat coconut milk, heavy cream or evaporated milk

• 1 cup of beef broth or water

• 2 large handfuls of spinach/baby kale

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

• Topping

• Nutritional Yeast or Parmesan Cheese

Directions

• Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• When sausage is almost cooked through, add the onion. Cook 5 minutes longer.
• Stir in the garlic and cook one minute more.
• Stir in the tomatoes, milk, beef broth or water & garlic salt. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the gnocchi and spinach. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer.
• Cook 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Let simmer until sauce has thickened to your liking.

Notes

• Nutrition calculated using Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage and no toppings. Recommend to calculate your own nutrition based off the brands you use!
• Nutrition using turkey sausage: 462 calories. 30 g protein, 63 g carbs, 12 g fats.