Sausage Gnocchi
Posted Aug 23, 2018, Updated May 23, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This cheesy sausage gnocchi is an easy and delicious dinner made in under 30 minutes! It’s a hearty and delicious meal absolutely bursting with flavor.
This sausage gnocchi recipe is the perfect scrumptious dinner for busy weeknights!
It is a complete meal with protein-packed Italian sausage, vegetables, and hearty potato gnocchi! It’s bold and flavorful and beloved by adults and kids alike!
Sausage Gnocchi Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potato Gnocchi. Choose your favorite variety of gnocchi for this dish – store bought, homemade gnocchi, frozen cauliflower gnocchi, etc.
- Butter. you can use all olive oil to brown the gnocchi and omit butter, if desired.
- Olive oil. If you’d prefer you can use all butter and omit the olive oil. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
- Italian Sausage. choose your favorite, pork or chicken, mild or spicy, etc.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes. plain diced tomatoes work well.
- Bell pepper. Choose your favorite color, or you can replace with different vegetables like shredded zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, peas, etc.
- Whole Milk. 2%, half and half or heavy cream are good substitutes.
- Onion. Choose your favorite variety.
How to Make Sausage Gnocchi
We will discuss how to make sausage gnocchi, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make or Choose your Gnocchi
I highly recommend using homemade potato gnocchi in this recipe. I make in large batches and keep it on hand in the freezer to pull out and use to make an easy meal in 30 minutes or less.
Using store bought gnocchi also yields fabulous results, and doesn’t require any preparation!
Cook the Gnocchi
Gnocchi always needs to be boiled first and it cooks relatively fast. You will know the gnocchi has finished cooking when it floats to the top of the boiling water. At that point, remove it with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a colander to drain any excess water.
Next, brown the gnocchi in butter and olive oil until it is crispy an golden brown on both sides. Trust me, this makes it so delicious!
Once the gnocchi is browned on both sides, remove it from the pan. If you plan to serve it separately from the sauce, place it in an oven-safe dish, cover it, and put it in your oven (set to low) to keep warm. If you’re planning on serving it with the sauce, just set it aside until you’re ready to mix it in!
Make the Sauce
Cook the onion, garlic and sausage in butter and olive oil until the sausage just begins to brown. Then add the green pepper and cook until the pepper is soft.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the sauce slightly thick. Then, add the gnocchi and serve.
Serve
You can add the gnocchi to the sauce and serve it as a one-pot dish. Or you can serve the sauce on the side of the gnocchi so people can choose how much they’d like to put on.
I suggest serving it with a side salad like burrata salad or panzanella salad, or your favorite Italian recipes.
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Sausage Gnocchi FAQs
I suggest ground Italian sausage or chicken sausage.
Yes, double the ingredients and cook in a large pan.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
Cheesy Sausage Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi
- ½ Tablespoon salted butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoon olive oil (divided)
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup onion (finely diced)
- 14.5 ounces fire rosted tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper (finely diced)
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ cups Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
Cook Gnocchi
- Line a large plate with paper towels, set aside.
- Cook gnocchi according to package instructions & drain.
- Heat ½ Tablespoon butter and ½ Tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until butter is melted, stirring to combine.
- Add cooked gnocchi and stir to coat with the oil/butter mixture.
- Cook gnocchi on one side for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the first side of the gnocchi is golden brown, flip each gnocchi over and cook on the other side for an additional 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
- Once both sides of the gnocchi are golden-brown, remove and place on the paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Optional: Remove paper towel and put the browned gnocchi in an oven-safe dish and place it in the oven at 200 degrees F to stay warm while you make the sauce. (I recommend doing this if you plan on serving the gnocchi and sauce separately).
Make the Sauce
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add Italian sausage, minced garlic and onion to the skillet, and cook, breaking the sausage up into small pieces.
- Place a lid over the sausage and let it cook for 5 minutes or until it just begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid, add the diced green pepper and continue cooking until the sausage is evenly browned and the peppers are soft.
- Add diced tomatoes, milk, garlic salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture just begins to bubble.
- Add cheddar cheese and reduce heat to medium.
- Stir until the cheese is melted and continue cooking until the sauce thickens slightly (about 3-5 minutes).
- Remove from heat.
- Once the sauce is thickened, stir in the gnocchi and serve.
Video
Notes
- Potato Gnocchi. Choose your favorite variety of gnocchi for this dish – store bought, homemade gnocchi, frozen cauliflower gnocchi, etc.
- Butter. you can use all olive oil to brown the gnocchi and omit butter, if desired.
- Olive oil. If you’d prefer you can use all butter and omit the olive oil. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
- Italian Sausage. choose your favorite, pork or chicken, mild or spicy, etc.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes. plain diced tomatoes work well.
- Bell pepper. Choose your favorite color, or you can replace with different vegetables like shredded zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, peas, etc.
- Whole Milk. 2%, half and half or heavy cream are good substitutes.
- Onion. Choose your favorite variety.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this recipe multiple times and it is always a hit! Its flavorful, delicious, and very simple. I always shred a block of Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar and it’s so good. I made it once with pre-shredded cheddar and the cheese didn’t melt quite right. I feel like this is one recipe that is even better the next day and we’re always happy to have leftovers.
The advice to brown the gnocchi first is right on. It gives it a really nice extra layer of texture. My family enjoyed this dish and it comes together fast. I’ll definitely make it again!
YES! Browning is key! I’m so glad you loved it!
Wow. I’ve been loving your peach crisp recipe, but now I have to say also that when I tried your potato gnocchi I fell in love with gnocchi. This looks like a way to just bump up that love for gnocchi a lot more. Thanking the Lord for how beautiful and delicious food is and what a gift it is from HIm!
Thank you Emily!! This is the PERFECT sauce to serve with that homemade gnocchi!!!! My favorite combo!
This looks absolutely incredible!!! 🙂
Thank you Audra! <3
Now this is a recipe that will go great in the upcoming Chicago Fall!
Yes Sir it will!!! It’s a fave of ours!