Baked Italian Sausage Gnocchi

A cozy Italian sausage gnocchi bake is what to make when you’re craving comfort food! It combines sausage, creamy tomato sauce, cheese, and gnocchi for a hearty dinner. Plus it only takes about 15 minutes of prep time before it goes in the oven.

Sometimes cranking up the oven and baking a dish full of comfort-y goodness is just what we need to soften the edge of a long day. And this baked sausage gnocchi is definitely high on the list of possibilities. It checks all the comfort food boxes: comforting, cozy, hearty, and delicious.

How to Make It

Store-bought gnocchi makes this recipe so easy – brown the sausage, make the simple sauce, and then add in the gnocchi. You don’t have to pre-cook it! Combine it all in a baking dish, pop it in the oven, and once it’s piping hot, it’s ready to devour.

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Baked Italian Sausage Gnocchi

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This Italian sausage gnocchi bake is so hearty and comforting. Brown the sausage, make the sauce, add the gnocchi, and bake it all in the oven for a cozy dinner.

• Author: April Anderson
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

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• Cooking spray
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
• 24 oz gnocchi
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Fresh basil for garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slightly spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart, until browned. Remove the sausage and set it aside.
3. Combine the diced onion and minced garlic in the same skillet. Cook them until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning,  1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer.
5. Stir in the chopped spinach and cook it until it wilts.
6. Stir in the cooked sausage and gnocchi. Mix until everything is coated in the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the top.
7. Bake the sausage and gnocchi for 20 to 25 minutes or until the gnocchi is tender and the top is golden and bubbly. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Notes

Make Ahead: You can assemble it a day ahead, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it.

Leftovers: Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to two months.

Nutrition

• Calories: 601
• Sugar: 3.6g
• Sodium: 1327.8mg
• Fat: 35.5g
• Saturated Fat: 14.7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 18.9g
• Trans Fat: 0.2g
• Carbohydrates: 51.3g
• Fiber: 1.2g
• Protein: 19.8g
• Cholesterol: 84.9mg

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

Substitutions

This is a great base recipe because you can switch it up by swapping some of the ingredients. Here are some ideas you might like to try:

• Italian sausage: If you want to lighten it up, try lean chicken sausage or turkey sausage.
• Potato gnocchi: You can use the same amount of pasta like penne or other short pasta shape. You will need to cook it first, so boil it according to the package instructions but take about two or three minutes off the cooking time. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.
• Garlic: If you don’t have any fresh garlic, you can use one teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Heavy cream: You can use the same amount of half and half or whole milk.
• Spinach: Try a heartier green like kale or Swiss chard. If you try one of these, it may need a few extra minutes to wilt into the sauce.
• Cheese: Instead of Parmesan, try the same amount of shredded mozzarella cheese, Provolone, Asiago, or Romano cheese.

Side Dishes

This is a hearty main dish, so a simple salad or cooked veggie on the side is great!

• Roasted broccoli or garlic butter broccoli
• Balsamic Brussels sprouts
• Sauteed green beans

Or, if you want to amp up the carby goodness, go ahead and serve some crusty bread or garlic toast on the side.

I hope you try this baked sausage gnocchi recipe the next time you’re craving some comfort. I think you’ll love it.

Happy cooking,

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