• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Salads and Sides
    • Sauces & Dips
    • Vegetarian
    • Dessert
  • About Me
  • Batch Cooking For Beginners
  • Weekly Batch Cooking

Simple Spoonfuls logo

October 15, 2020

Sausage and Mushroom Baked Gnocchi

Share
Pin27
27 Shares
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This baked gnocchi dish delivers big flavor in just 30 minutes! Sausage and mushrooms paired with little pillows of gnocchi make for a hearty weeknight dinner while marinara and a swirl of pesto create a rich and decadent sauce. Make this skillet for dinner and your family will think you’re a rockstar!

blue skillet with baked gnocchi and melted mozzarella on top garnished with basil leaves.

How to make this baked gnocchi skillet

The thing I love most about this baked gnocchi dish is that you just keep layering the flavors in the skillet. Aside from boiling the gnocchi in a separate pot, most of the work is done right in your deep skillet. While it’s not super non-stick, I do love my Lodge blue enamel skillet for dishes like this that get finished in the hot oven.

You’ll start by sautéing your base flavors of onion and mushroom while also browning your sausage. For this recipe, I chose an organic chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s that we love, but any sweet or hot Italian sausage would do. Or leave it out to keep it vegetarian!

While you’re sautéing those ingredients, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add your gnocchi. Boil for roughly 3-5 minutes, or until the gnocchi float to the top. Then drain well and rinse lightly with cold water to keep from clumping together.

Add your minced garlic to the skillet along with some salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add a big pile of fresh spinach. This will cook down quickly. Add your gnocchi and marinara sauce and stir well to combine. Lastly, add a beautiful swirl of pesto and some sliced mozzarella.

ingredients and substitutions

  • Gnocchi-You can find gnocchi with other fresh pasta at most grocery stores. Sometimes it will be in the refrigerated section, and sometimes it’s on the shelf. If you don’t have gnocchi, you can sub out for any pasta shape like rotini or penne.
  • Marinara-I opt for jarred marinara in order to keep this recipe weeknight friendly and get it on the table in 30 minutes, but if you prefer homemade red sauce then that would be fantastic! My all time favorite jarred marinara is from the brand Rao’s.
  • Pesto-Like the marinara, I will often buy premade pesto from the store to help this dish come together quickly. When I’m onto of my meal prep game I will often freeze homemade pesto in an ice cup tray to grab at a moments notice.
  • Spinach-I love fresh spinach in this dish, but frozen would also work if that’s all you have! Just be sure to squeeze out all the excess water so it doesn’t thin your sauce. Kale or Swiss chard would be great substitutions if you have those on hand.
  • Sausage-I like a light chicken sausage but any Italian sweet or hot pork sausage would be great. You can also leave it out all together to keep it vegetarian and add some eggplant instead. Now I’m craving that…
  • Mozzarella-You’ll want to look for the balls of mozzarella that aren’t packed in water because they will hold up better in the high heat of the oven without burning. You can absolutely also use shredded mozzarella.
ingredients to make the baked gnocchi laid out

What kind of gnocchi will work in this dish?

I use a shelf stable gnocchi that I find with the jarred tomato sauce at my grocery store, but you can also often find it with the fresh pasta and sauces in the refrigerated section. If you have frozen gnocchi on hand, you will want to prepare it according to the directions on the packaging.

Some require you to defrost in the microwave first, boil, pan fry or even roast in the oven first. You will not want to add frozen gnocchi directly to the skillet and toss with the other ingredients.

Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats made a great resource on the various methods for cooking your gnocchi for optimal results. Cauliflower gnocchi is a favorite for a lot of people and it works beautifully in this recipe.

A plate of baked gnocchi and a glass of wine

If you love a quick and easy meal with a healthy twist like this baked gnocchi, be sure to check out these other weeknight favorites!

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Harissa Chickpea Skillet with Eggplant

Sundried Tomato and Basil Quinoa Patties

Sausage and Mushroom Baked Gnocchi

Katie Clack
This baked gnocchi dish delivers big flavor in just 30 minutes! Sausage and mushrooms paired with little pillows of gnocchi make for a hearty meal while marinara and a swirl of pesto create a rich sauce.
4.2 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb fresh gnocchi
  • 1/2 lb sausage, sliced into rounds
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil or other high heat oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 1/2 ball of mozzarella, about 4 oz or 6 big slices
  • 2 tbsp sliced basil for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi for 3-5 minutes or until they start to float to the surface. Drain well and rinse lightly with water to keep from clumping together.
  • In the meantime in a deep skillet, heat 3 tbsp of avocado oil over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage, mushrooms and onion to the pan and cook until sausage starts to brown and mushrooms and onion soften, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the sausage mixture. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add your spinach and cook until soft, about 1 minute longer. Then add your cooked gnocchi and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add a swirl or blobs of pesto to the top and then top with your sliced marinara.
  • Bake in the 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Notes

  • If you’re not using fresh gnocchi, cook according to the directions on the packaging.
  • You can substitute shredded mozzarella for sliced.
Keyword gnocchi, skillet, pasta, sausage, mushroom, italian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Share
Pin27
27 Shares

Filed Under: Dinner

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carey-Ann says

    September 5, 2021 at 8:14 am

    5 stars
    Easy and delicious dinner to share with friends.

    Reply
    • Katie Clack says

      September 5, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      Thank you Carey-Ann! SO glad you liked it! It’s one of the few meals that even my picky kids will eat. : )

      Reply
  2. Loren says

    February 24, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe! Worked with cauliflower gnocchi too!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

simple_spoonfuls

Anytime I can bust out the muffin tin to make a re Anytime I can bust out the muffin tin to make a recipe, I’m all for it!  Cooking should be fun afterall!  My kiddos love to help with these gruyere and thyme potato stacks because they can help with the layering.  And they *especially* love to help with the eating part! 

Try different variations by swapping out different cheeses and herbs (hello Asiago and rosemary!) Full recipe in my bio!

#recipereel #recipeideas #potato #potatoes #potatolover #potatolove #potatolovers #cheeselovers #cheeselove #prettyfood #sidedish #easterrecipes #easterrecipe #steakandpotatoes #vegetarianrecipe #simplespoonfuls #prettyfood
Say hello to these parmesan and panko crusted salm Say hello to these parmesan and panko crusted salmon bites! 👋 Let the air fryer work it’s magic on this easy weeknight dinner so you can sit back and relax. The sriracha mayo drizzle on top really takes this salmon to the next level. I like to serve it alongside some veggies like roasted asparagus, sesame snap peas, or pickled cucumbers to balance this dish out with some greens.

RECIPE
1 lb center cut salmon, skin removed, cut into 1” chunks and patted dry
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Combine your salmon chunks with the garlic, paprika and sea salt.  Once coated, add your dijon and olive oil and massage to coat.  Then toss with the grated parmesan and breadcrumbs, patting to get it to stick to the salmon.  Place in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 5-7 minutes or until 135 degrees F.

In the meantime, combine 1 cup of mayo with 2 tablespoons of sriracha, the juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and stir to combine.  Drizzle over the top of your salmon.

#salmon #salmonrecipe #salmonrecipes #panko #airfryer #airfryerrecipes #pescatarian #weeknightdinner #weeknightmeals #easydinnerideas #dinneridea #simplespoonfuls #kidfriendlyfood #kidfriendly #flavortown
Start your morning off right by meal prepping thes Start your morning off right by meal prepping these blood orange coconut chia puddings!  This is my absolute favorite chia pudding recipe with a perfectly creamy texture with just the right amount of sweetness.  You can switch up the toppings based on what’s in season!  I was amazed that even my kids loved these since they’re not always the most adventurous eaters.  I call that a major win!

Blood Orange Coconut Chia Pudding
1 14 oz can coconut milk 
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut beverage
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
6 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
1 blood orange
Toasted coconut flakes

Combine canned coconut milk, coconut beverage, vanilla extract, and Chia seeds in a container and mix well. Cover and place in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. Add maple syrup to taste top with segments of blood orange and toasted coconut.  Makes 3-4 servings.
#chiapudding #chiaseeds #mealprep #breakfastmealprep #breakfastideas #whatiateforbreakfast #breakfast #coconut #bloodorange #bloodoranges #citrusseason #mealprepideas #mealprepinspo #mealpreplife #mealpreppin #aesthetic #prettyfood #prettyfoodtastesbetter #simplespoonfuls #recipereel #recipereels
Who else lives for citrus season? 🙋‍♀️🍋🍊 This blood orange poppyseed dressing is one of my favorite ways to highlight the gorgeous fruit.  I love to drizzle it over a bed of arugula or spinach with citrus segments, cucumber, avocado, goat cheese and macadamia nuts. 🥗🤤 Make sure you save this one!

Blood Orange Poppyseed Dressing
1/3 cup blood orange juice (2 oranges)
1T honey
1T dijon
2T poppy seeds
2T champagne vinegar 
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Big pinch sea salt

Combine in a jar and shake well before using!

#saladrecipe #salads #saladporn #citrusseason #citrus #bloodorange #bloodoranges #poppyseed #poppyseeds #saladdressing #madefromscratch #eatwithyoureyes #eattherainbow #vitaminc #fancywithoutthefuss #whatiate #whatiatetoday #saladsofinstagram #recipereel #viralrecipe #eatprettyfood #prettyfood #prettyfoodtastesbetter #vegetarianrecipe #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreefoodie #glutenfreefoods
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I’ve got you covered with this show stopping goat cheese and beet risotto!  Just be sure and invite me to the wedding when your partner puts on a ring on it after this romantic meal! 💍💕😋

The dramatic red color and creamy texture make this dish one to remember! 

Goat Cheese & Beet Risotto
1 bunch of beets, diced small
1 shallot, diced small
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive 
6 cups veggie or chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 

Warm the stock in a small sauce pot til barely simmering.  In a sauté lan, heat your olive oil on medium and add your diced beets and shallot and season with salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes and then add your garlic. Sauté another minute until the garlic is fragrant and add your Arborio rice.  Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes or until the outer edges turn translucent.  Deglaze with the white wine and wait until the wine has been absorbed.  Then add 1-2 ladles of stock at a time, waiting until the stock has been absorbed each time before adding more.  Stir occasionally.  You should see the risotto mix slightly bubbling.  Adjust your heat up or down if it’s bubbling too much or not enough.  Once the rice is soft but not mushy (about 20-25 minutes) add in your cheese, fresh thyme and an optional 1-2tbsp butter.  Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.  Service with a drizzle of olive oil and extra goat cheese on top. 

#galentinesday #galentines #valentinesday #valentinesdinner #recipereel #specialoccassion #marryme #risotto #risottolover #risottorecipe #goatcheese #romanticmeal #valentinesmeal #romanticdinner #whatsfordinner #entertaining #entertainingathome #beets #beetsbeetsbeets #lovebeets #italianfood #italianfoodlover #italianfoods #beautifulfood #prettyfood #prettyfoodtastesbetter #eatwithyoureyes #eattherainbow #personalchef #personalcheflife
Whether you make this creamy sundried tomato and c Whether you make this creamy sundried tomato and chicken pasta for Valentine’s Day or a random Wednesday, this recipe is a winner!  This is the dish that finally got my 11 year old to love sundried tomatoes. 🍅💪🍝 Full recipe is in my bio! 

#pasta #sundriedtomatoes #datenightdinner #datenight #valentinesday #easydinner #classyaf #whatiatefordinner #kidfriendlyrecipes #carblover #carbsoncarbs #cheesyfood  #recipereels #recipereel #feedfeed #mediterraneandiet #mediterraneanfood #italiandinner #italianrecipe #simplespoonfuls #mezzetta
Here’s a super simple way to make salmon with ou Here’s a super simple way to make salmon with out of this world flavor!  Slow roasting in olive oil makes for a buttery texture that won’t dry out.  Take advantage of citrus season by cooking on a bed of lemon and blood orange for spectacular color and flavor.  The heat from the harissa balances out the richness, acidity and sweetness of the citrus.  Get ready to wow your friends and family with this showstopper!

Slow Roasted Harissa Salmon with Citrus and Fennel
1 lb wild caught salmon
1/2 tsp harissa powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch sea salt and pepper
1 bulb fennel, cored and sliced thin with fronds reserved
1 shallot, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced blood orange
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh dill

Preheat oven to 275F. Pat salmon dry and season with salt, pepper, harissa and garlic powder.  In a small casserole dish add sliced fennel, shallot, garlic, sliced lemon and blood orange, and top with salmon and 2-3 sprigs fresh dill.  Pour over the olive oil and roast uncovered for 15 min.  Baste with oil in the dish and bake another 5-10 min or until internal temp is 135F.  Serve over cauliflower rice, quinoa, couscous or your favorite grains.  Top with fresh dill and chopped fennel fronds. Enjoy!

#salmon #salmonrecipe #salmonrecipes #wildsalmon #pescatarian #seafoodrecipe #citrusseason #feedfeed #citrusrecipe #harissa #whatsfordinner #eatprettyfood #eattherainbow #healthyrecipes #eatwithyoureyes
If you’re New Year’s resolution was to meal pr If you’re New Year’s resolution was to meal prep more but you’re struggling to stick with it, batch cooking is your answer! 

Each week pick a different protein, grain, seasonal roasted veggies, and a sauce or dressing to prep.  I also recommend prepping some diced onion or minced garlic to have ready and some raw, cleaned and cut veggies like carrot sticks, broccoli, cauliflower etc.  Then, when meal time rolls around, you’ll be a few steps ahead. 

Challenge yourself to find new ways to mix and match throughout the week and use the ingredients in salads, grain bowls, scrambles, wraps, you name it.  If this seems like too much, just start out by batch cooking the grains for the week and then slowly add in more as you’re able.  Just remember, anything is better than nothing!

#mealprep #mealprepping #mealprepinspo #batchcook #batchcooking #personalchef #mealpreplife #mealprepideas #healthymealideas #cooklikeachef #eattherainbow
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Don’t Miss These!

close up image of three red beets

How to Cook Beets and 3 Ways to Use Them

overhead shot of chicken in pan with blood orange slices on top

Cast Iron Blood Orange Chicken Recipe

Blood orange yogurt loaf on a wooden serving tray.

Blood Orange Yogurt Loaf

closeup image of bowl filled with romesco pasta salad

Romesco Pasta Salad Recipe

Categories

  • Appetizers
  • Breakfast
  • Dessert
  • Dinner
  • Drinks
  • Lunch
  • Salads and Sides
  • Sauces & Dips
  • Snacks
  • Vegetarian
  • Weekly Batch Cooking

Recent Posts

  • Smoked Salmon Frittata
  • Blood Orange Yogurt Loaf
  • Gruyere and Thyme Potato Stacks
  • Peas and Pancetta
  • Beet Deviled Eggs

Most Popular Recipes

bowl of cilantro jalapeño sauce on wood cutting board

Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce Without Dairy

Peas and pancetta with mint in a serving bowl.

Peas and Pancetta

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme