In less than 30 minutes and with a minimum of prep (just one ingredient needs chopping and cutting!) this hearty, satisfying, one-pot meal can be yours. It’s gnocchi for dinner tonight—woohoo!
If you know me and my recipes, you know I love easy skillet dinners, meals where everything cooks in one pan. So I thought, why not try one with gnocchi?
I’ve had great success with gnocchi sheet pan suppers, including one with shrimp and tomatoes and one with sausage and peppers. So I gave gnocchi in a skillet a try. And you know what? It turned out great! Here’s why.
No Separate Cooking For The Gnocchi
With some gnocchi skillet dinner recipes, you have to cook the gnocchi separately in boiling water before adding it to your skillet. But I found that if there’s enough liquid in the skillet, the gnocchi can cook right there along with everything else.
For this recipe, I first brown some sliced precooked sausages, set them aside, then add the gnocchi to the skillet and brown it as well. It helps add a little extra flavor and texture.
After that, the liquids go in—diced tomatoes with their juices and a little chicken broth—along with most of the add-ins, including canned beans, the browned sausage, and seasonings. A 5-minute simmer is all it takes for the liquid to get thickened and saucy and the gnocchi to finish cooking. That’s when I stir in fresh spinach and top it all with cheese.
Done! And all the cooking only takes about 15 minutes.
No Fuss Ingredients For The Add-Ins
I use premade gnocchi that you can find at the supermarket with other refrigerated, frozen, or shelf-stable pastas. Most brands seem to come in 1-pound packages, so you don’t even have to measure it. And if your gnocchi is frozen, you don’t have to thaw it either.
Pantry items include canned tomatoes and beans (just open the cans!), plus broth, olive oil, and a few seasonings. Buy prewashed baby spinach and preshredded cheese and all you have to do is measure them out.
Which leaves the precooked sausages. Slice them up, and that’s the only knife work required for this whole dinner!
I can’t wait to try it with different flavors of sausages, various types of beans, and different cheeses. Andouille sausage, red beans, and crumbled feta would be great. Or how about chorizo sausage, pinto beans, and jack cheese?
But no matter how I make it, I’ll keep it simple. This one is designed to be E-Z.
Enjoy! – Christine xo
Podcast Episode On Making Gnocchi Skillet Dinner
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Easy Gnocchi Skillet Dinner Recipe
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
In less than 30 minutes and with a minimum of prep (just one ingredient needs chopping and cutting!) this hearty, satisfying, one-pot meal can be yours. Try it with different kinds of sausage, beans, and cheese, if you like. It’s gnocchi for dinner tonight—woohoo!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 3 (3 oz.) cooked chicken sausages, cut into 1/2-in. slices
- 1 lb. frozen, refrigerated, or shelf-stable gnocchi (no need to thaw frozen)
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 2/3 cup chicken broth or white wine
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, or Italian cheese blend
Instructions
- In a very large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Once it’s hot, add the gnocchi and cook, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage, beans, tomatoes (with their juices), broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and let stand until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Fantastic thanks
You’re welcome, Brian!