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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!
This is absolutely phenomenal! Top 10 things I’ve ever cooked. I’m so excited to make this a staple meal at my house!
That’s so nice to hear, Mallory!! Appreciate your 5-star review! *chef’s kiss*
This is so good! Repeat in our house!
Fantastic!! Thank you! 😀
I am so glad I have found your recipes. This was another easy work night recipe that was a hit in my house. ( I have very fussy men) I plan on trying a lot more of your receives as so far they are all good.
That’s so nice to hear, Jayne!! 🙂 Thanks so much!!
I made this tonight and both my wife and I thought it was fabulous. I had to make a few adjustments because your measurements don’t really fit for US products. There were no 1lb packages of gnocchi, only 12 oz. Similarly, a package of Italian sausage usually contains a pound of sausages (5 sausages), So, I used a package of gnocchi and 3 sausages. This was plenty for two people. Other changes/adjustments were to cut back on the liquids @20 percent because there were fewer gnocchi to soak up the sauce AND a I added a tablespoon for tomato paste with the garlic for a little color and tomato flavor. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Robert! Thanks for your review. Interesting… the DeLallo gnocchi I get is 16 oz/1 pound (sent to me directly from America), but yeah, I recently became aware that Italian sausage package sizes tend to vary. It’s an even 500g here for the 5 sausages. It’s definitely frustrating trying to make the Canadian sizes work for my US audience (I am going back and updating older recipes as I can), but luckily most of my recipes are pretty flexible with the measurements.
Could you substitute kale for the spinach? I have kale on hand
You could try, but we haven’t tested. Just note that kale takes longer to cook than spinach since it’s coarser and thicker, so just add it in earlier. Enjoy!
Made this tonight added a while chopped white onion in with the sausage and a couple of extra cloves of garlic (bit a garlic freak 🤣). I’m in the UK so instead of double cream I substituted it for 250grams low fat philadelphia soft cheese and a whole bag of spinach went in. Was so nice and creamy and not having the cream means it’s easier on the calories. Definetly do it again
Nice!! Glad you enjoyed it, Vinnie!
I made the recipe as listed and the only change is that I’d add less lemon next time, but only because I read teaspoon as tablespoon, so I used the juice of half a lemon because I had half a lemon. Time for new glasses.
An excellent dish, and enjoyed by all.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Brian! 🙂
The problem I have with cooking is that I never seem to have all the ingredients. This recipe sounded delicious, but alas, I didn’t have some of the ingredients. I went for it anyway, and it still turned out fantastic! That’s the sign of an excellent recipe!! I used a pound of ground sausage, wine instead of chicken broth, a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead of sun-dried, 2% milk instead of cream, and baby greens instead of just spinach. And still SO delicious!! I also added some purple peppers that I had when I was cooking the meat, and I think next time, I’ll add mushrooms as well. I’ve got sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and chicken broth on the shopping list now!! Can’t wait to try it as is! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that!! Thank you! 😀
Do you think the heavy cream can be non dairy? Maybe coconut or oat?
I think you could give it a try. The starch in the gnocchi should help thicken the sauce so subs will be more forgiving in this recipe. The flavor will change a bit, though, but if you like the taste of those, it should be ok. Let me know if you try, and I hope you like the recipe! 🙂
I made this tonight and replaced the cream with 250grams of light philladelphia soft cheese. Was so gd
Great recipe! I’ll be keeping this one in my rotation for sure. I love how flexible it is with the ingredients and how quick it is to make on a worknight. Thank you
You’re very welcome!
If you’re using spinach flavoured gnocchi, would you still add fresh spinach to this recipe?
I probably would since it’s quite different, but entirely up to you! 🙂