Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

Creamy gnocchi with goat cheese and lots of garden vegetables.

5 from 7 votes

Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes is an easy 25 minute dinner, loaded with fresh garden veggies and amazing Italian flavor! It all comes together in a skillet with bell peppers, pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese for a delicious creamy coating!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: to 4

Calories: 678kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

16 ounces packaged potato gnocchi
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 grinds fresh black pepper
1 red bell pepper sliced
2 links fully cooked Italian sausage (leftovers sausage or brats work great!)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup spinach or arugula roughly chopped
2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
2 Tablespoons fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water about 3 minutes (follow package instructions) drain and reserve.
Meanwhile, prepare all ingredients. Chop the bell pepper in thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Mince the garlic, cut the cooked sausages into slices, and roughly chop your greens. Pre-measure your salt and pepper so you can add a pinch along the way, each time you add a new ingredient.
In a cast iron skillet (or any large skillet) over medium heat, add oil and saute the peppers on one half and the fully cooked sliced sausage links on the other. Cook about 5 minutes until beginning to brown and caramelize, stirring occasionally with tongs or a wooden spoon. Season the peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Move the peppers and sausage to the side of the pan and add the whole cherry tomatoes and pine nuts to the open spot. Cook and stir about 2 minutes, until the tomatoes are just slightly cooked, but not so long that they are turning to mush. Add a pinch more salt and pepper.
Add the drained gnocchi, garlic and spinach or arugula. Toss everything together and continue sautéing so the gnocchi pan fry and caramelize a bit, about 2 minutes more. Add the remaining salt and pepper.
Top with basil and crumbled goat cheese, it will melt slightly with the heat of the skillet. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Leftover cooked Italian sausage or brats are great for this recipe. If you don't have leftovers, you can simply start by cooking them separately. Simmer in water and then either grill them or saute in a skillet until browned. You can use the same cast iron skillet that you will make the entire dish in. Let cool slightly and slice.
Goat cheese can be substituted with crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan cheese, or left out.

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