One-Pan Sausage and Gnocchi
Crisped gnocchi with sausage, spinach and a light tomato cream sauce, all in one skillet in 25 minutes.
Shop-bought gnocchi does not need boiling. Fried straight from the packet in the sausage fat it crisps on the outside and stays pillowy inside, which is a better result than any pot of water gives you. Everything then cooks in the same pan, so the sausage fond ends up in the sauce rather than down the drain.
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How to make One-Pan Sausage and Gnocchi
Ingredients
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Pan
Sauce
Equipment
- Large heavy skillet with a lid
- Wooden spoon
Method
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1
Brown the sausage
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the sausage meat in chunks. Leave it 3 minutes before turning, then cook 4 minutes more until browned. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and leave the fat behind.
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2
Crisp the gnocchi
Add the gnocchi to the hot fat in a single layer and leave it undisturbed for 3 minutes, until the undersides are golden, then toss and give it 2 minutes more. Add a little oil if the pan looks dry.
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3
Cook the aromatics
Push the gnocchi to the edge, add the onion to the middle with a pinch of salt and cook 3 minutes, then the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli for 45 seconds, until fragrant.
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4
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato puree and cook it for 1 minute, until it darkens, then pour in the stock and scrape the base of the pan clean. All the browning from the sausage lifts into the sauce here.
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5
Add cream and spinach
Return the sausage, add the cream and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the spinach in handfuls, covering the pan for 30 seconds between each, until just wilted.
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6
Finish off the heat
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the parmesan, and season with pepper, a little salt and a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately, while the gnocchi is still crisp at the edges.
Cook’s tips
- Do not boil the gnocchi first. Dry from the packet is what lets it crisp, and boiled gnocchi will only turn to paste in the pan.
- Leave the gnocchi alone for the first three minutes. Stirring early is why most attempts come out pale and gluey.
- Add the parmesan off the heat. On a simmer it splits and turns the sauce grainy.
Variations
- Use chicken sausage, or swap in 300 g of mushrooms and a tin of butter beans for a vegetarian pan.
- Leave the cream out and finish with a splash of pasta water and more parmesan for a lighter sauce.
- Add a handful of halved cherry tomatoes with the onion, or stir through pesto at the end instead of the tomato puree.
Storage and make-ahead
Best eaten straight away, as the gnocchi softens on standing. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge and reheat best in a hot pan with a splash of stock. Not suitable for freezing; the cream and the gnocchi both suffer.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 648 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 980 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
