Cheesy Sausage Baked Gnocchi is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Loaded with comforting Italian flavors and made in under 45 minutes with less than 10 minutes of hands on time. Only one pan or skillet dinner for an easy clean up.
What You'll Need for this Recipe:
- Italian Sausage - mild or hot, your choice!
- Garlic
- Gnocchi
- Jarred Marinara Sauce
- Heavy Cream - makes the dish a tad creamy and extra delicious. You can omit, if you want it lighter.
- Cheese - I like to use a mix of shredded low moisture mozzarella and slices of fresh mozzarella
- Spices - Fennel Seeds, Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, Dried Parsley, Red Pepper Flakes (optional), Salt and Pepper
Tips and FAQs!
Can I use my cast iron skillet with the tomato sauce?
One of the cast iron 'rules' is to be careful using highly acidic foods (such as tomatoes) as they can damage the seasoning and cause a slight metallic taste in the food. This is especially true for newer cast-iron or newly re-seasoned cast iron. However, there are no issues with this if your cast iron is enameled. It is also generally okay if your cast iron is very well seasoned and if you're not simmering tomatoes for a long period of time (such as when making homemade marinara). Here's an article that goes into more detail. If you're worried, use a different oven proof skillet or you can brown the sausage in your skillet and then transfer everything to a baking dish.
I don't have an oven-safe skillet, what can I use instead?
No big deal! Just brown and crumble your sausage on the stove then transfer to a baking dish and prepare as directed. You'll just have one more dish to clean but the recipe will turn out the same.
Can I prep it in advance?
Yes! You could assemble completely the night before or earlier in the day and then just pop into the oven when ready for dinner. If you do this, I would not use a cast iron (even a well seasoned on) as that is a long time for the marinara to sit. See above FAQ.
What is gnocchi?
Gnocchi is an Italian pasta made from potatoes, flour, and eggs.
Where do I find gnocchi in the grocery store?
Gnocchi can be found in the pasta aisle. It is often in plastic packaging. Most grocery stores should sell it - including Target, Trader Joe's, etc.
Some other pasta recipes that I love:
- Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
- One-Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- One-Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
- Southern Baked Mac & Cheese - from Sweet Tea & Thyme
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PrintRecipe
Cheesy Sausage Baked Gnocchi
Cheesy Sausage Baked Gnocchi is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Loaded with comforting Italian flavors and made in under 45 minutes with less than 10 minutes of hands on time. Only one pan or skillet dinner for an easy clean up.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Pasta, Mains
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Italian Sausage
- 1 tablespoon minced Garlic
- 2 1lb packages Gnocchi
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- ¼-½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional for additional spice
- 1 24oz jar Marinara Sauce
- 8oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded or fresh slices or a combo
- 1-2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook Sausage. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown/crumble until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to low-medium and add the minced garlic. Sauté for an additional minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Assemble Gnocchi Bake. In same skillet or transfer to a baking dish, add the gnocchi, marinara, cream, and spices to the sausage and stir to combine. Press into an even layer. Top with cheese.
- Bake. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until gnocchi is tender, sauce is bubbling around the edges and cheese is melted and slightly browned. If the cheese is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent with foil.
- Serve and Enjoy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy.
Notes
Leftovers: Leftover baked gnocchi can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Advance Assembly: You can assemble the night before or earlier in the day, store covered in the fridge, and then just pop into the oven when ready for dinner.
Cast Iron Skillet: It is best to not use a new or newly seasoned cast iron skillet for this recipe due to the acidity from the tomatoes. But an enameled cast iron or extremely well seasoned cast iron is fine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
- Calories: 502
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 1537.9 mg
- Fat: 22.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 23.3 g
- Cholesterol: 53.9 mg
Katie says
Loved the gnocchi in this and all of the cheese. Yum!