Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale is a creamy bowl of consolation impressed by Zuppa Toscana. It’s straightforward to make in a single pot by combining gnocchi, hen sausage, and kale with a luscious parmesan cream sauce.

Why you’ll love this recipe!

Like Zuppa Toscana – Similar to Olive Backyard’s iconic Zuppa Toscana, this cozy, creamy meal simmers browned Italian sausage and kale in a Tuscan-inspired cream sauce. The one distinction is I used pillowy gnocchi as an alternative of potatoes!
Straightforward one pot dinner – All the pieces is cooked in the identical skillet in simply half-hour that can assist you get this on the desk ASAP.
Customizable – Use your favourite sausage, make a dairy-free model, alter the spice, and extra!
Swapping common pasta for pillowy gentle gnocchi is certainly one of my favourite methods to mess around with our standard pasta dinners. My sheet pan gnocchi is a scrumptious time saver, whereas my hen gnocchi skillet is oh-so hearty and flavorful! And this mouthwatering One Pot Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale? It’s a consolation meals recreation changer.
This recipe is form of like a twist on Olive Backyard’s well-known Zuppa Toscana. It combines Italian hen sausage and kale in a parmesan-infused cream sauce, however as an alternative of diced potatoes, I used gnocchi. It cooks proper within the sauce, absorbing all that wealthy, flavorful goodness.
This gnocchi skillet dinner has all the things I need in a straightforward consolation meals… Prepared in half-hour? Examine. Straightforward to make in a single pot? Examine. Creamy, cozy, and scrumptious? Triple test!

One Pot Gnocchi Elements
Rooster sausage – I like making this gnocchi recipe with gentle Italian hen sausage. It places a lighter twist on Zuppa Toscana with out skipping any of the flavour! Be happy to make use of any gentle or spicy Italian sausage you want as an alternative.
Flour – I sprinkled all-purpose flour over the sautéed aromatics to assist thicken the cream sauce. Gluten-free flour works, too.
Broth – I went with hen broth due to the hen sausage, however vegetable broth can be a terrific choice.
Heavy cream – This recipe is all in regards to the wealthy, luscious sauce, and heavy cream is the key behind it. When you’d want one thing lighter, use half-and-half, entire milk, or a full-fat non-dairy milk (like oat milk or coconut milk) as an alternative.
Gnocchi – Certainly one of my favourite issues about this recipe is that any kind of gnocchi works—shelf-stable, contemporary, or frozen. Understand that contemporary gnocchi cooks the quickest, whereas frozen may have an additional minute or two.
Kale – My leafy inexperienced of alternative! Kale is utilized in traditional Zuppa Toscana, however child spinach leaves are simply nearly as good.
This checklist gives additional clarification on a couple of elements. See the recipe card under for the complete ingredient checklist.
Variations
- Gluten-free – Use gluten-free all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce, and gluten-free gnocchi as an alternative of normal gnocchi.
- Dairy-free – Make the sauce with full-fat coconut milk or oat milk. It’s also possible to swap the parmesan for dietary yeast or store-bought vegan parmesan cheese (Violife is a good model).
- Vegetarian – Simply omit the sausage or use your favourite plant-based Italian-style sausage as an alternative. Additionally, swap the hen broth for vegetable broth.
- Use floor meat – This dish is simply nearly as good made with floor turkey, hen, or pork (simply add an additional teaspoon of Italian seasoning for extra taste).
- Make it with meatballs – Exchange the sausage with my baked hen meatballs or these vegan lentil meatballs. Brown them first, take away them from the pan, and add them again on the finish.
- Extra add-ins – Be happy to stir in peas, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted crimson peppers with the kale for additional taste and texture.
Tips on how to Make Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale
Step 1: Brown the sausage. Add the sausage to a big skillet over medium warmth. Break it up with a wood spoon and prepare dinner till the crumbles are browned. Switch the sausage crumbles to a bowl.
Step 2: Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the onion within the now-empty skillet till it begins to melt. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt, and prepare dinner for 1 minute.
Step 3: Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the aromatics and whisk always for 1 minute. Slowly, whereas whisking, pour within the broth and heavy cream.
Step 4: Add the gnocchi. Warmth the combination to a low boil, then add the gnocchi. Flip off the warmth and stir within the kale. End by stirring within the parmesan cheese and cooked sausage.
Step 5: Serve. Divide the gnocchi between serving bowls and garnish with crimson pepper flakes and extra cheese. Serve and revel in!

Erin’s Suggestions and Tips
- When you’re making this with sausage hyperlinks, simply use a knife to slice by the casing and squeeze out the meat earlier than cooking.
- Carry on whisking when cooking the flour and pouring within the broth and cream. It’s the important thing to stopping lumps in your cream sauce!
- Is the sauce too thick? Simply stir in splashes of water or broth at a time till it’s as brothy as you want. Is it too skinny? Proceed gently simmering till it’s thickened to your required consistency.
- Hold an in depth eye on the gnocchi—it cooks in a short time! Contemporary gnocchi takes about 2 minutes, shelf-stable gnocchi takes 2 to three minutes, and frozen gnocchi takes 3 to 4 minutes.
My Professional Tip
Style as you go
There are such a lot of tasty elements and layers of Tuscan-inspired flavors on this dish. To ensure all the things is well-balanced, I all the time style the sauce a couple of occasions because it’s cooking. A pinch extra salt, a touch of crimson pepper flakes, a grind of pepper, or perhaps a squeeze of lemon often makes all of the distinction.
One Pot Gnocchi FAQs
Utilizing gentle Italian sausages and a pinch of crimson pepper flakes provides a refined kick of warmth that I like. You may all the time skip the crimson pepper flakes in the event you don’t need any spice.
Sure! Begin by utilizing the Sauté perform to brown the sausage, prepare dinner the aromatics, and construct the roux. Add the broth and seasonings, then seal the lid and prepare dinner on Guide/Stress Prepare dinner for two to three minutes.
Launch the stress, then swap again to Sauté mode and stir within the cream, gnocchi, and kale. Simmer gently till the gnocchi is tender and the kale is wilted.
Certain. First, brown the sausage, sauté the aromatics, and construct the roux in a skillet on the stovetop. Switch all the things to the crockpot together with the broth and seasonings. Prepare dinner on low for two to three hours. Over the past 20 minutes of cooking, stir within the cream, gnocchi, and kale.
Storage
Fridge: You may retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 days. The gnocchi will take in the sauce and soften over time, however will nonetheless style nice.
Reheating: I like to recommend reheating the leftovers in a skillet with a splash of broth to keep up that creamy consistency. Heat over medium warmth and stir gently till it’s heated by.

Easier dinners
When you made this recipe, remember to go away a remark and star ranking under. Thanks!
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Warmth a big, deep skillet over medium warmth. As soon as sizzling, add the sausage, utilizing a wood spoon to interrupt it up till it’s cooked by and now not pink; take away with a slotted spoon.
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Subsequent, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, together with the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic, italian seasoning and salt and sauté for an extra minute.
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To that very same skillet, sprinkle the flour overtop and whisk repeatedly for 1 minute till the flour is golden brown. Slowly pour within the broth and heavy cream whereas whisking on the similar time to create a roux.
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As soon as the combination is at a low boil, add within the gnocchi and prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes. Flip off the warmth, then add the kale and stir till it’s wilted, about 1 minute. Final, stir within the parmesan cheese and add the sausage again in.
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High with crimson pepper flakes, add extra cheese and revel in!
*If you need a thinner broth, add an extra 1 cup of water
Energy: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 14g | Fats: 18g | Saturated Fats: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Ldl cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 1541mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 263mg | Iron: 6mg

UPDATE NOTE: This publish was initially revealed in November 2018. It was up to date with new textual content and images in December 2025.



