This creamy sausage gnocchi is a quick, comforting dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It’s got crispy, crumbled vegetarian sausages and a creamy tomato sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and cream, which pair perfectly with the pillowy soft gnocchi. It’s ready in under 20 minutes, too!

If you’re into quick gnocchi dishes, you might love recipes like my Creamy Pesto Gnocchi or this Baked Gnocchi with Mozzarella. If you’re more into creamy pasta, try this French Onion Gnocchi too.

Ingredient Notes

The exact quantities of the ingredients that you need in this recipe are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Below, I’ve listed out the ingredients and included a few potential substitutions.

• Gnocchi: You can use fresh gnocchi or shelf-stable gnocchi. Fresh will cook faster, but either works well for this dish.
  
• Vegetarian Sausages: Choose your favorite brand of vegetarian or vegan sausages. I love the THIIS brand or the Richmond vegan sausages. You can also use regular sausages if you’re not vegetarian.
  
• Sun-dried tomatoes: They add a nice, rich sweetness. If you can’t find them, you could use roasted red peppers or cherry tomatoes.
  
• Onion & Garlic: These are a great base for so many recipes, and that’s no different here.
  
• Double Cream: You can swap this for heavy cream or a plant-based alternative if needed.
  
• Pecorino: Parmesan or Grana Padano will work if you don’t have Pecorino, but they’re not always vegetarian.
  
• Spinach: I add in some chopped fresh spinach for extra nutrients! Some kale would also be a nice touch.
  
• Seasonings: We use a blend of salt and pepper, Italian herbs, and dried oregano for this recipe. You could also want some chili flakes or chili powder if you want a little extra spice.

Variations & Substitutions

• Vegan Option: Use vegan sausages, replace the double cream with a plant-based cream, and swap the Pecorino for nutritional yeast.
  
• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free gnocchi and check that your sausages are also gluten-free.

How To Make Creamy Sausage Gnocchi

The exact quantities and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of the process to help guide you:

1. Cook the sausages

Crumble and fry the sausages until golden and crispy, then set aside. Try to keep as much of the oil in the pan as you can so that you can cook the rest of the recipe in the oil. The sausages should take around 4-5 minutes to fry up nicely if you’ve crumbled them into small pieces.

2. Make the base

Saute the onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes until softened and fragrant. Then, you can add the tomato paste and seasonings and stir these into the mixture too.

3. Add the cream and gnocchi:

Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the cream and water, adding the gnocchi to cook directly in the sauce. Stir in the spinach until wilted, grate in the Pecorino, and top with fresh basil.

Top Tips \ Chef’s Notes

• Gnocchi Cooking Tip: Let the gnocchi cook directly in the sauce instead of pre-boiling. This way, it absorbs the flavors better and stays soft.
  
• Creamy Sauce: If the sauce feels too thick, you can add a splash more water or cream to loosen it up.
  
• Sausage Texture: Fry the sausages until crispy for an extra crunchy bite that contrasts nicely with the soft gnocchi.

Storage

This creamy sausage gnocchi keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce. It doesn’t freeze well as the gnocchi can become mushy.

How To Serve?

Serve this gnocchi straight from the pan with some garlic bread or a side salad. It’s also perfect on its own for a cozy, one-pan meal that doesn’t need much else!

FAQs