One Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Vegetables

 

Skillet gnocchi appears to be my go to ingredient and this recipe is quick, simple and full of so much flavour. The pillowy gnocchi and vegetables are nestled in a slurry of a creamy shallow sauce that has the right hint of citrus. Served with a salad or a lovely crusty bread elevates this beyond a full nutritious meal.  

One Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Vegetables

------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 x 500 g package pork sausage meat

1 x 700 g package of skillet Gnocchi

4 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 medium zucchini sliced

1 x 142 g package fresh baby spinach leaves 

1 - 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning mix

3 - 4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

A generous squeeze of lemon juice or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom deep double-handle skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, having some largish chunks are fine, until it is fully, about 5 to 7 minutes. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a bowl and set side.

Add the skillet gnocchi to the pan or pot, whichever you are using, and cook, stirring until the gnocchi becomes golden brown and slightly crisps up. Add the chopped red pepper, slices of zucchini and sauté until the vegetables are softened. Add the crushed garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for a few minutes more. 

Add the chicken broth to the pan or pot and bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the gnocchi are tender, should be about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Then add the cooked sausage meat and heat to warm through, about 2 minutes, then add the shredded Parmesan cheese and give everything a stir, allowing the cheese to slightly melt a bit. 

Remove from the heat and squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Give one last gentle stir and garnish with more Parmesan cheese and fresh spinach leaves, if you wish. Serve with a salad or crusty bread. 

Notes: The spinach and vegetables may be substituted for other ones you prefer. The lemon juice may be omitted however it does add a bit more flavour. The skillet gnocchi I used was Olivieri Classic Skillet Gnocchi - Family size. 

Skillet Gnocchi with Bacon and Tomatoes

 

I love skillet gnocchi for its ease to create such delicious and tasty meal in minutes. This recipe I just threw together however feel free to add whatever you like, more veggies or meat or different seasonings. Although substantial, this definitely hits on the lighter side and serving with a salad makes more of an all around generous meal.      

Skillet Gnocchi with Bacon and Tomatoes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 - 2 tablespoon Italian Herb seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste  

1 package (700 g) Family Sized Skillet Gnocchi

1 package (375 g) low salt bacon, diced or cut into smaller bits

1 pint (551 ml) grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 yellow pepper, cored and deseeded, roughly diced

grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the Skillet Gnocchi and Italian Seasoning with salt and pepper to taste,. and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the gnocchi is golden brown and slightly crisp. Transfer gnocchi to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and cook the diced bacon, 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly browned and crisp or to your preference, it should have a bit of a flexible bite to it. If the bacon gives off too much excessive grease, drain some of it off but leave a little bit in the pan for added flavour. I find low sodium bacon doesn't give off as much grease, therefore not needing to drain off as much or very little. 

Add the tomato halves and diced pepper with the bacon and sauté until they are just softened. Then add the cooked seasoned gnocchi back to the skillet with the bacon, tomatoes and peppers to warm everything together. Lightly drizzle with more olive oil, if you wish, and toss to coat. 

Remove from heat and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve.

 

Notes: You can replace the bacon with slices of cut sausage. You'll just have to adjust the cooking time. To drain bacon, carefully remove cooked bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towel. Slowly tip the grease from the skillet into an empty tin can, allow the grease to cool in the tin can before discarding, or sop up most of the grease using paper towels and discard the greasy paper towels as you would any garbage.   

Cheesy Baked Gnocchi

 

Pillowy and tender gnocchi blanketed in a vivid savoury tomato sauce covered with dollops of creamy ricotta is absolutely gorgeous and inviting and using skillet gnocchi makes this recipe a breeze. With a cozy bake such as this; it's easy to add chopped zucchini or spinach while sautéing the gnocchi in the skillet. A comforting low effort dish that makes a voluptuous scrumptious meal.    

Cheesy Baked Gnocchi 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serves 6 

4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil, divided 

1 package (700 g) Olivieri Skillet Gnocchi - Family Sized

2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning 

20 frozen Italian style chicken or beef meatballs

2 x 680 ml herb tomato or pasta sauce

1 1/2 cups (350 ml/500g) ricotta cheese

2 cups (500 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

4 tablespoons (60 ml) chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat 2 tablespoon (30 ml) olive oil in a large skillet or fry pan over medium heat. Add the Skillet Gnocchi and the Italian seasoning and sauté for 5 minutes or until gnocchi is golden brown and slightly crisp. Transfer gnocchi to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining oil and the meatballs, cook, turning meatballs occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. If using larger sized meatballs, they will need more time to brown so adjust the cooking time accordingly. 

Stir in the pasta sauce and bring to a simmer; cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until meatballs are cooked. Again, if using larger sized meatballs they will need more time to cook so do adjust the cooking time accordingly. 

Meanwhile preheat oven to broil. 

In a medium bowl stir ricotta cheese with 1 cup (250 ml)  mozzarella cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Once the meatballs are heated and cooked in the sauce, remove the skillet from heat and spoon mixture into a 9 x 13 inch oven proof baking dish. Evenly spread the meatballs and nestle the gnocchi into the saucy tomato meatball mixture. Dollop the ricotta cheese mixture over the saucy meatball gnocchi mixture and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.   

Broil in the oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with extra fresh basil or Arrabbiata seasoning and a crusty Italian bread to soak up the extra tomato sauce. 

Notes: Alternately you can add the cooked sautéed gnocchi, when the meatballs are finished cooking in the sauce, you just have to ensure you have a skillet large enough to hold and stir everything together before spooning into the oven proof baking dish and continuing on with the recipe.