One-Pan Creamy Italian Sausage Gnocchi Bake
Pillowy gnocchi, savoury Italian sausage and juicy tomatoes bake together in a rich, creamy garlic sauce. Finished with freshly grated Parmesan and fragrant basil, this easy one-pan dinner is comforting, incredibly flavourful and seriously delicious.
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
28–35 min
Serves
Ingredients
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- 1 packageItalian sausage, approximately 5 links
- 1 tbspolive oil, if needed
- 1 smallonion, diced
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tspItalian seasoning
- ¼ tspred pepper flakes, optional
- 1 packageshelf-stable gnocchi, approximately 500 g
- 2 cupscherry tomatoes
- 2 packed cupschopped kale, tough stems removed
- 2 cupschicken broth
- ¾ cupheavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
- Fresh basil, for serving
Ingredients
- 1 packageItalian sausage, approximately 5 links
- 1 tbspolive oil, if needed
- 1 smallonion, diced
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tspItalian seasoning
- ¼ tspred pepper flakes, optional
- 1 packageshelf-stable gnocchi, approximately 500 g
- 2 cupscherry tomatoes
- 2 packed cupschopped kale, tough stems removed
- 2 cupschicken broth
- ¾ cupheavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
- Fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 2
Heat a large oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. They do not need to be completely cooked through at this stage.
- 3
Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and allow them to rest for a few minutes. Slice them into bite-sized pieces. If the sausage is too soft to slice neatly, simply break it into rustic chunks.
- 4
If the Dutch oven looks dry, add the olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until it begins to soften.
- 5
Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for approximately 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- 6
Add the uncooked gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, chopped kale and sausage pieces to the Dutch oven.
- 7
Pour in the chicken broth and cream. Season with freshly ground black pepper and gently stir everything together, making sure the gnocchi is mostly submerged in the liquid.
- 8
Transfer the uncovered Dutch oven to the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and the sauce is bubbling.
- 9
Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and give everything a thorough stir. Cover and return it to the oven for another 8–10 minutes, or until the gnocchi is tender, the sausage is completely cooked through, and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- 10
Remove from the oven and let the gnocchi rest for approximately 5 minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.
- 11
Finish with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and scattered fresh basil. Serve warm.
Melissa's Notes
There is no need to boil or rinse the gnocchi before adding it to the Dutch oven.
The finished sauce will initially look fairly loose but will thicken as the bake rests.
Italian sausage is generally well seasoned, and both the chicken broth and Parmesan add salt. Taste the finished dish before adding any additional salt.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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