This Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes recipe is made with delicious chicken sausage, fresh spinach, juicy tomatoes, and bright red peppers for a veggie-loaded one-pan meal that’s comforting as well as healthy! Ready in just 30 minutes it’s the perfect easy weeknight meal that’s great for the whole family.
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Gnocchi is one of our favorite, easy-to-cook comfort foods and there are so many different ways of making it!
This Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes dish is perfect for a long day when you need something quick that you can pair with whatever you have on hand.
Even though this gnocchi recipe tastes like indulgent comfort food, it is full of better-for-you ingredients that make it a regular on our table.
It’s easy to make, but looks and tastes good enough to have as your main course for special occasions or dinner parties too!
It’s made with Italian chicken sausage (which brings so much flavor on its own!), tomatoes, red peppers, spinach, garlic, and dried herbs which we sauté in canola oil before adding our pillowy gnocchi.
Love gnocchi? You’ll enjoy this Baked Gnocchi with Sausage, my Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup, and this Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup too!
Ingredients Needed:
- Oil: I used canola oil, but olive oil will work well too. It just has to have a high smoke point to cook the veggies and meat.
- Veggies: use a red bell pepper and an onion for a great combination of savory and sweet flavors.
- Sausage: I like to use chicken sausage meat because it is lean and flavorful. You can also use Italian turkey sausage or Italian pork sausage.
- Seasoning: freshly minced garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper are all you need for some big flavor!
- Gnocchi: uncooked (shelf stable) Gnocchi is fine here it will cook in the broth!
- Broth: I always start with low-sodium broth and adjust salt as needed. If you have salted broth, you may want to omit the salt and season in the end.
- Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes work well, but you can use any kind of tomatoes here (or omit them if you don’t like tomatoes)!
- Spinach: freshly chopped spinach leaves add a great freshness, color, and burst of nutrients to this meal.
- Cheese: use a block of Parmesan cheese that you can shred yourself for the best flavor. When you shred it yourself, it also melts into the dish better.
How to Make Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes
Here is a brief overview! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Cook veggies: Cook onions and peppers in hot oil until softened.
- Add sausage and season: Add chicken sausage and cook until browned. Then add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the sausage and stir.
- Add gnocchi, broth, and tomatoes: Then add the gnocchi, chicken broth, and tomatoes. Cover and cook.
- Add spinach and Parmesan: Stir in the spinach and Parmesan, and cover to allow the spinach to wilt slightly.
Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes FAQs
Gnocchi is commonly referred to as pasta, but it is more accurately described as little dumplings. When cooked, it has a soft texture and tastes more like plain pasta than potatoes, even though it is most commonly made with potatoes as the main ingredient. You will be able to find it in the dried pasta sections in grocery stores.
Once fully cooled, you can store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave until fully heated through.
This easy gnocchi recipe is perfect for prepping ahead and reheating later, which is a great option during busy weeks!
Simply prepare the recipe in its entirety, then let cool slightly before covering and refrigerating for up to 4 days.
To reheat, I like to add a splash of water or broth as the gnocchi tends to absorb liquid as it sits.
Then simply pop it in the oven, covered, at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or simmer it, covered, on the stoveto= on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
While you can freeze cooked gnocchi for later, whether you should or not depends on your preferences.
If you like your vegetables and gnocchi with a firmer texture, then you might prefer to refrigerate leftovers rather than freeze them.
If you don’t mind your food on the softer side, then you can cover this sausage gnocchi tightly and freeze it for up to 1 month. To reheat, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and see further instructions above.
Tips and Notes
- Veggies: feel free to omit the bell peppers, onions, or tomatoes, or swap them with other vegetables your dinner guests enjoy! They add lots of flavors but the recipe will work fine without them.
- Gnocchi: I have only tested this recipe with shelf-stable gnocchi (dried). You can use homemade gnocchi or store-bought. You may be able to swap it with uncooked pasta, but the cooking time may vary. See the package instructions for more details.
- Broth: You can use vegetable broth, chicken stock, or vegetable broth as substitutes in a pinch, but bear in mind the salt content of what you use and adjust the recipe as necessary.
- Spinach: fresh spinach adds color and nutritional value! If you don’t have fresh spinach, try throwing in a chunk or two of frozen spinach during the cooking process. You could also try using fresh basil leaves or arugula for a different flavor.
- Parmesan: it’s a lot of parm, I know! It adds a ton of flavor and does add to the salt content. You can leave this out for a dairy-free meal, or swap it for another cheese you have on hand.
Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes Variations
- Swap the meat. You can substitute the chicken sausage for chopped chicken breasts if you don’t have any on hand. Simply brown in canola oil before adding the rest of the vegetables as the recipe calls for.
- Mix up the veggies! This recipe is easily customizable, so feel free to stray a little and add what you have in the fridge (just try to keep the same ratio of meat to gnocchi to vegetables!): chopped mushrooms, kale, shredded carrots, or chopped zucchini are great additions.
- Spice it up. if you love a cozy meal with a bit of heat, add in a pinch or two of red pepper flakes with the rest of the spices.
- Creamy tomato sauce. This dish is already cheesy, so to make it extra comforting, you can easily make this dish creamy too! Simply add in some heavy cream after cooking with the broth a bit.
Serving Suggestions
While Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes is already filling, I find that bread is the perfect addition to any dinner table.
My Garlic Bread or Garlic & Herb Dinner Rolls would go wonderfully with these Italian flavors or try my Homemade Breadsticks to soak up all those flavorful juices!
Add even more nutrients with some veggie sides like my Air Fryer Broccoli, Roasted Carrots, or these Air Fryer Green Beans.
More Easy One-Pot Recipes to Try
Gnocchi with Sausage, Tomatoes and Spinach
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- ½ medium onion finely diced
- 4 links Italian chicken sausage uncooked, casings removed about 350 grams or ¾ lb
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 500 grams of dried potato gnocchi
- 1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes cherry tomatoes or any kind
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the canola oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook peppers and onion until softened (about 3-4 minutes) and add the chicken sausage (cutting the casing off to remove it). Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it into small pieces while it cooks.
- When sausage is no longer pink, add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add gnocchi, chicken broth, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until gnocchi is tender (about 5 minutes).
- Remove lid, stir in spinach and Parmesan, and cover to allow spinach to wilt slightly.
- Serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Tammy says
I’m going to make this but only have the fresh gnocchi. So I’m gonna use that.
The Recipe Rebel says
Enjoy!
Susan M says
You have a few recipies with gnocchi, but no recipe for gnocchi on your site. Do you just buy store bought and if so, what brand do you recommend?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Susan, yes I normally just buy the gnocchi. I just use whatever my grocery store has in stock. Any brand should work. Hope you enjoy it!
Yvonne Wilson says
It was different but delicious. Thanx 4 sharing your recipe
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Yvonne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Dana says
How many ounces or cups is 500 grams of gnocchi?
Ashley Fehr says
About 17 oz
Kathryn says
Delicious! My husband and I loved this recipe, and it was quick and easy to put together!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kathryn!
Marleen Sustronck says
thank you so much Ashley for this lovely yummy recipe.
This will become another favorite dish for my family
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Marleen! I’m so glad!