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This creamy gnocchi with sausage recipe is an easy, quick, and incredibly delicious comfort food meal made all in one pan. It’s ready in just 30 minutes!
If you’re wondering what to make with Italian sausage, try my Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta or Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup next for more inspiration.
Why you’ll love it
Tender gnocchi and flavorful Italian sausage is one of my favorite combos. It’s just such a tasty protein that goes with all kinds of pasta, and gnocchi is no exception. Pair it with a mouthwatering creamy tomato sauce, and it’s pure heaven. This one pan gnocchi recipe tastes like it came from a restaurant, but it’s super simple to make.
Like several of my gnocchi recipes, this Italian sausage gnocchi is a one pan wonder as well. The gnocchi cooks right in the sauce, so no need to boil it separately. Fewer dishes means more time spent enjoying this cozy treat with your family or guests that’s sure to dazzle!
What you’ll need
- Italian sausage – use either ground sausage meat or buy a pack of mild Italian sausages, take out of the casings, and crumble it
- Onion and garlic – our base aromatics. I prefer sweet (Vidalia) onions, and this garlic press is my go-to since you don’t even need to peel the cloves before mincing them.
- White wine – adds a touch of elegance! Use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, one you actually enjoy drinking (not cooking wine).
- Diced tomatoes – a convenient way to get that concentrated tomato taste since they’re canned at the peak of ripeness
- Heavy cream – for making the sauce luxurious
- Gnocchi – I buy the shelf-stable potato gnocchi found in the pasta aisle of most major grocery stores
- Parmesan cheese – always use freshly grated for optimal flavor and texture
- Basil – it gives a burst of freshness and is a classic pairing with tomato sauces
Pro tips
- I have homemade gnocchi. Can I use that instead? Not for this recipe. It’s very delicate and won’t hold up to the one pan recipe method.
- Am I supposed to cook the gnocchi first? Nope! The beauty of this one is that it cooks right in the sauce. In fact, the starch released is an important component of the sauce.
- Why isn’t my sauce thickening? Stoves and cookware are all different, so if it’s not thickening up, simply give it more time. On the other hand, if your stove runs hot, just turn down the heat a little.
How to make creamy sausage gnocchi
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Prep the ingredients. Sauté the sausage and onion in a skillet until lightly browned, then stir in the garlic for about half a minute. Pour in the wine and cook for a minute or so.
Add in the tomatoes, gnocchi, and cream. Let it bubble, then cover and reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir, then let it cook uncovered until thickened and the gnocchi is soft. Add in the parm, basil, and season with salt & pepper. Enjoy!
Substitutions and variations
- If you can’t use white wine for whatever reason, try replacing it with chicken broth plus 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
- For a spicy kick, add in some crushed pepper flakes or use a hot variety of sausage. You could also try my Spicy Italian Sausage Gnocchi recipe instead.
- Many of my readers add in some spinach at the end until it wilts to get in some greens.
- Our kitchen doesn’t recommend substituting the heavy cream for something with a lower fat content. You could get away with using half-and-half, but it won’t be as rich or flavorful, and there’s always a chance of curdling due to the tomatoes.
What to serve with this gnocchi
- This is a fairly rich meal, so all it needs is a big slice of fresh bread alongside it. Try French bread, sourdough, or a dinner roll. Going all out with Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good idea, though!
- For lighter fare, my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad is easy peasy and goes well. Mixed greens with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing works too.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of this gnocchi will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- I suggest re-warming it in a saucepan over a low heat slowly. Keep in mind that as time goes on, the gnocchi will release more starch, so you can always add a splash more wine or cream to thin it a bit.
- Freezing pasta with creamy sauces isn’t something I recommend. The texture is liable to change.
Hope you love this simple gnocchi recipe! Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask. I’d love it if you left me a review below. You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram to showcase any recipe of mine you made.
One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Italian sausage see note
- 1/2 small onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (e.g. sauvignon blanc)
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Handful fresh basil torn
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the sausage and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Add the wine and let it cook for about a minute.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, cream, and gnocchi. Once the sauce starts to bubble again, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, give it a good stir, and let it cook for another few minutes, or until the gnocchi has cooked through and is nice and soft and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, basil, and salt & pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It’ll cook right in the sauce.
- For the sausages, anything around the 16 ounce/1 pound ballpark is fine – it doesn’t need to be exact. Buy ground sausage meat or take the sausage meat out of the casings if using whole sausages.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on December 22, 2017. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
So good!! Made this for the first time last night and I wanted to eat the whole pan! Would you happen to know how many calories are in one serving? Just trying to track what I eat. 🙂
Hi Marissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 I’m hesitant to put calorie info on the more decadent dishes like this one. A lot of people have an emotional attachment to the number, and I’d hate to deter someone for making and enjoying it or bring up feelings of guilt. I realize that is probably not the answer you were hoping for! Calories also do vary a lot depending on what type of sausage you use and the exact brand, so weighing the actual ingredients you use and inputting them into something like My Fitness Pal would probably give you a more accurate estimate.
Can this be frozen?
Hi! I haven’t tried. In my personal experience, cream sauces don’t always thaw so well. They tend to separate. And the gnocchi may get a little gloopy. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to try if you end up with leftovers. I recommend re-heating on a low heat, and you may need to add a little more cream to restore the sauce to its former glory. If you’ve got a few minutes, maybe read thru the comments to see if other readers have tried freezing it. Let us know how it goes!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I used full-fat canned coconut cream Instead of heavy cream to make this dairy free and it was awesome!! I want to eat the whole pot myself!
So glad it worked out, Paige!! 😀
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! There’s an incredible gnocchi restaurant around the corner and I eat there all the time but THIS was on par as good, and so easy to make. Thank you!! 😍
Yay!! Aww that’s quite the compliment!
Quick question, is this ok to make in advance (say during the afternoon) and then just re-heat for dinner? Sometimes our schedules our crazy and we can’t eat dinner until 9 or 10, but I’d love to prepare in advance.
Also, how is it as leftovers? (If there are any ;))
Hi Lisa! I think that should probably be fine, but reheat on a low heat since cream sauces can easily separate when re-heating. You may need to add a splash more cream to restore the sauce to its original glory.
I literally make this at least once a week. Sometimes I’ll throw in some leftover spinach. One time I used bow tie pasta, though I should have cooked that some first and then added it to everything. It’s so easy and the cleanup is barely anything. It’s a staple in my recipe book now. Thank you so much! 🙂
I’m so happy you like this recipe so much! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Delicious it is. I made it to recipe with one very minor addition: I crumbled in one strip of leftover bacon at the end. This was so quick and so good – rare to get such a nice combination.
I’m so happy you liked it!! Love the bacon idea too 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
This is delicious! Our favorite gnocchi recipe so far. It was hearty, and all our kiddos (even the picky 4 year old) enjoyed it!
Wonderful!! That makes me happy! 🙂
I’m hoping to make this tonight, but have to use what I have on hand for obvious reasons.
I do have light cream and half and half. Would either work, or save the recipe for when my next food order comes in?
Also, don’t have fresh basil leaves- which I know is heavenly! I’m growing them in my AeroGarden, but not quite ready to use. Can I use dried? If so, how much?
Thanks so much!
Pam
Hi Pam! I would use whichever of those two that has the highest fat percentage. I think this recipe probably will be fine if you don’t use the heavy cream because the potato gnocchi will release starch to thicken the sauce, but the sauce will likely be a bit thinner/more watery overall. If you’re not ok with that, I’d wait until your next order. As far as the basil goes, you could probably just skip it. I really just add it for the flavor that only fresh basil can give.
5 out of 5! So easy and so good! Definitely a keeper 😊
Thank you!! 🙂
Delicious. Creamy. Easy. Thank you!!!
So glad you liked it!!
Hubby loved it! I used hot dogs instead of italian sausage, and boy did it turn out tasty. Yum!
Wonderful! XO
So easy and delicious! I used chicken sausage and cauliflower gnocchi (what I had) for a healthier version. Definitely a keeper.
Great! So glad it worked out.