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This creamy Tuscan sausage gnocchi recipe is the ultimate comfort food! It has sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and fresh basil in a decadent garlic parmesan cream sauce.
Try my Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce or Sausage Gnocchi Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
The Italian-inspired sauce is really the star of this easy gnocchi recipe. It has that magical “Tuscan” ingredient combo that Olive Garden made famous of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and basil. Flavorful Italian sausage and pillowy gnocchi make it even tastier!
I’ve had a lot of happy readers use the one-pan cooking technique for gnocchi. It’s quick, and there’s no fussing around with multiple pans, so cleanup is a breeze. This Italian sausage gnocchi will fast become a family favorite for cozy cravings.
What you’ll need
- Sausage – I use half of a 5-pack of mild Italian sausages. Feel free to use hot Italian sausages if that’s your thing!
- Garlic – for lots of savory flavor
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – to make it luxurious
- Lemon juice – it balances the sauce with a touch of acidity to add more dimension
- Sun-dried tomatoes – I prefer the ones packed in oil
- Gnocchi – I use shelf-stable gnocchi found in the dry pasta aisle
- Parmesan – for a cheesy quality. Grate your own for best results.
- Fresh spinach and basil – it elevates this dish so much with a pop of freshness!
Helpful tips
- Can I use homemade gnocchi? I’ve had readers test similar recipes with fresh homemade gnocchi, and the one pan technique does not seem to work as well, so I would stick with the dry stuff.
- Do I cook the gnocchi first? Nope! It cooks right in the sauce, and the starch released is really important to thicken the sauce.
- Mine is thickening too fast/slowly. Since ovens and cookware vary, make adjustments to any one pot recipe. Turn it down if your stove runs hot/add more liquid. Or just give it more time if it’s not thickening up.
How to make creamy sausage gnocchi
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a skillet, sauté the sausage meat until browned, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant. Stir in the broth, cream, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and gnocchi.
Cover the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir, then add in the spinach. Cover and cook until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the parmesan and basil, and cook until thickened up as desired. Season with salt & pepper generously.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this skillet.
- Grate your own parmesan for ideal taste and texture. I do with this handy Microplane zester.
- Quickly mince garlic with a garlic press.
Substitutions and variations
- If you feel so inclined, replace the chicken broth with white wine (e.g., pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) . It’ll taste amazing.
- Sub the cream at your own risk. It might not turn out the way it should and could possibly curdle.
- You can swap the sun-dried tomatoes with a medium chopped tomato instead.
- Want to make this with regular pasta? Try my Tuscan Sausage Pasta instead.
What to serve with Italian sausage gnocchi
- It’s quite rich and filling, so I recommend a salad or steamed veggies on the side. My Creamy Pesto Dressing is a bright dressing you’ll love, or make this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
- I like serving fresh crusty bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping it in with any Italian-style dish.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover gnocchi for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat on the stove over a low heat, and you might want to add another splash of broth or cream when reheating.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
More Tuscan-inspired recipes
If you made this Tuscan gnocchi recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. You can also tag me on Instagram.
Creamy Tuscan Sausage Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 11 ounces Italian sausages crumbled
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 1.5 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil (optional) to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into a deep skillet. Sauté the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you go along, until browned (about 5-7 minutes).
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, cream, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and gnocchi to the pan. Give it a good stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Give the gnocchi a stir and then add in the spinach. Cover the pan again for 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
- Stir in the parmesan and basil (if using). Ensure the gnocchi is cooked through and the sauce is thickened to your liking (cook for another minute or two if necessary). Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
- There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It cooks right in the sauce and the starch released from the potatoes will thicken the sauce.
- I used 3 sausages from a 5-pack of Johnsonville hot Italian sausages. Anything in the 11 oz ballpark will work, or you can even use more sausage meat if you wish. You can use hot Italian sausages if you prefer.
- I used the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes that come in a jar. I drained the oil prior to adding them to the skillet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on August 7, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I made this recipe for a friend when it was posted about a year and a half ago. Turns out she is still thinking about it because she just asked for the recipe. I’m glad she reminded me of it because I’ll put it back in my dinner recipe rotation now that our schedule is getting back to normal.
I can’t always get fresh produce but frozen spinach works well for this, I just wring out as much water as possible before adding it in.
I love that!! 🙂 So happy it’s back in your rotation and on your friend’s mind too. 😉
We make this every other week for our family and looooove it. Our fav!
Question- I need to tripple it for a group dinner next month. How long should I cook the gnocchi before adding the spinach when I’m using three times as much
Excellent! So glad it’s a regular for you guys. 🙂 I would probably just use a pot/dutch oven type thing and perhaps stir it more often, but I don’t think it’ll need a lot more cooking time.
Absolutely delicious. Forgot the lemon but I think it turned out great
Thank you!!
I never leave a comment on recipes but this is SO good. Added some sour cream in there and that took it to a whole new level. Big fan, will definitely be making it again!
I really appreciate you reviewing this recipe – it helps us bloggers out! So glad you liked it! 🙂
So good! I had refrigerated gnocci so that’s what I used. Out of Parmesan cheese, but it tasted delicious without it. Will be making again!
Wonderful!!
This recipe is delicious! I substituted half and half for heavy cream and used 1 pound of sausage. It was perfect and so easy to make. Can you please supply the nutrition values.
So glad you enjoyed it, Michele! Just updated it to include the nutrition info for you. Please keep in mind it’ll vary based on ingredients you use and how well you actually measure it out (nutrition is for 1/4 of the recipe), so just take it as an estimate.
This recipe was easy to follow and turned out amazing! The whole family ate it, even the littles!!
Fantastic! That’s what I like to hear. 🙂
Natasha- thank you for sharing! This dish is so easy and absolutely delicious! I used smoked chicken Italian sausage and it came out perfectly. My husband just said it’s one of the top meals I have ever made so I will definitely be making again! Thank you! 🙂
You’re very welcome!! 🙂 Love that.
This was fab! I subbed Conecuh slices for the ground sausage – easier for the vegetarian to pick out. Served with an extra squeeze of lemon and basil on top.
Excellent! 🙂
How do you recommend reheating left overs? (party of one over here lol)
Hi! I’d reheat them in a covered saucepan over a fairly low heat, stirring every so often. You may need to add a splash more cream or broth just to restore the sauce’s consistency if it seems a bit thick. 🙂