Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) Italian pork sausages, casings removed (see note 1)
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- ½ cup (125 ml) white wine (can be substituted with chicken stock)
- 400 g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (250 ml) thickened (heavy) cream
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) gnocchi (from the refrigerated section of the supermarket, see note 2)
- 120 g (4 oz) fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- Basil leaves, to serve
- Chilli (red pepper) flakes, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, heavy-based pan over medium–high heat.
- Add the sausages (with the casings removed) to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into small pieces. Cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the sausage is fully cooked and browned.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the white wine and cook for 1–2 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and thickened cream. Stir them in and bring to a simmer.
- Add the gnocchi and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Give the gnocchi a stir and continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking and the gnocchi is cooked through and soft.
- Remove from the heat. Stir through the baby spinach and parmesan.
- Season to taste and serve topped with fresh basil and chilli flakes.
Notes
Note 1 – You can either squeeze the sausages out of their casings, or use a knife to cut down the side of the sausages and remove the casings that way (they peel off very easily). Watch the video to see how I do this.
Note 2 – This recipe will not work with dry gnocchi – you need fresh gnocchi from the refrigerated aisle of the supermarket that takes less than 5 minutes to cook. You could also use fresh torn lasagne sheets or fresh pappardelle in this recipe instead of the gnocchi.
Make ahead
This dish is best made and served immediately, although leftovers keep really well in the fridge. See the Leftovers instructions below.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of boiling water (from the kettle) to loosen the sauce if needed. Not suitable to freeze (the gnocchi turn mushy).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta, One Pan, Family Favorite, Freezer Friendly, Pork, Beef
- Method: Pan
- Cuisine: Italian