Picture this: It's a weeknight. You're tired and hungry and have no desire to stand over a stove for an hour to make dinner then clean, so you considering ordering out or stopping at your local Chipotle for a bite to eat. STOP RIGHT THERE. This recipe has your name written all over it, because not only is it QUICK to make (20-30 minutes), but it requires ONE PAN, i.e. less cleaning.
You might be asking yourself what type of cuisine this is, because I was skeptical when it was labeled "Italian"... After making it, I wouldn't consider it Italian. Maybe Italian-inspired? Either way, it was good and I would definitely make it again when I'm in a pinch.
The sausage and diced tomato reminded me of a very simple ragù (or "meat sauce" as some like to call it), which normally takes 3 hours to make vs. the 20 minutes in this recipe - it also is not typically made with sausage. I also thought that the ratio of sausage to gnocchi was way off, so I would consider using just .5 to 3/4 lb sausage to 1 lb gnocchi, or 1 lb sausage to 1.5-2 lb gnocchi. I guess it depends what you want the star of the dish to be! In any case, I will share with you the recipe portions for 1 lb gnocchi. See note at bottom on how to make this vegetarian!
Ingredients:
Olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 lb Italian sausage (no casings)
1 lb / 16 oz dry gnocchi
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 handfuls spinach
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shaved parmesan
Directions:
In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 2 tbs of olive oil in the pan. Add onion and garlic, cook for about 1 minute. Add sausage, breaking it up into little pieces and cook until nice and brown, stirring occasionally. DO NOT DRAIN THE PAN and add the dry gnocchi and stir until gnocchi have been incorporated. Stir in can of tomatoes and the chicken broth. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. The gnocchi should be light and fluffy. Turn off the heat and add the spinach and black pepper, stirring until spinach has wilted. Top with as much mozzarella and parmesan as you want.
To make this dish vegetarian, swap sausage with a heaping amount of veggies (maybe some red pepper and mushrooms?), and substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Recipe from Chew Out Loud.