If you are stuck as to what to make for dinner tonight, may a suggest this creamy gnocchi sausage skillet?! This one-pot meal has become a family favorite during these quarantine days. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish so it is perfect for me as a mom of a newborn. You could easily skip the sausage if you are looking for a vegetarian option. Loaded with fresh tomatoes and spinach, all you need is a thick slice of crusty bread to complete the meal.
I pretty much pin any recipe that has gnocchi in the title. What is it about those pillowy soft mouthfuls that keep us coming back for more?! Gnocchi is comfort food that always makes me smile and is a bit more filling than most kinds of pasta. One day I am going to make a homemade batch. I can only imagine how much better it would be! I love that instead of cooking Gnocchi in a separate pot you can cook it quickly in a pan with sauces. This makes clean up so much easier.
I hope you all are surviving these quarantine days. Our state is slowly opening up parks, beaches, and marinas for everyone to at least enjoy the outdoors. Yesterday we spent 3 hours at the park and it was heavenly! Soaking up sunshine always does the soul good. I have to say that in spite of all the headache the pandemic has brought to our country, the one thing that makes me smile is seeing all the families in our neighbor out on their evening walks, kids reading in the yard, fishing in the pond and creating chalk masterpieces in their driveways. If this time has taught us anything, I hope it has taught us to reconnect with the ones we love and reminds us that slowing down is not always a bad thing. It will be interesting to see how life changes once the restrictions are lifted.
I hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by!
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey breakfast sausage
- 1/2 cup halved and sliced leek (~1 large leek)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-pint cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup white wine or vegetable stock
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter
- 17 oz. refrigerated fresh gnocchi
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Several handfuls of baby spinach (1-2 cups)
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, brown turkey sausage with leek and onion. Drain the extra grease from sausage. Add a pinch of salt- remember to continue to add it in layers for flavor! Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add cherry tomatoes; cook until they begin to blister, about 5 minutes, and then begin to smash them down gently with the back of your spoon. Let the juices cook about 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine or vegetable stock. Bring it back to a simmer and let it cook down for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the butter to melt.
- Add in the gnocchi, stir to coat and make sure they are in a single layer to cook evenly. Cover the pan (use foil if you don’t have a lid) and cook about 2 minutes longer than the package suggests (since you won’t be boiling them, it may take a little longer). Mine usually cook for about 4-5 minutes total. Be sure to taste test! Stir in parmesan, spinach, and half-and-half. The spinach will wilt with the heat of the gnocchi. Serve immediately with additional parmesan and/or fresh basil as desired.
