A no-boil, one-skillet gnocchi with sausage, leafy greens, and parmesan cheese.
When I’m somewhere between “let’s make ramen from scratch” and “let’s order a pizza” I usually make something like spaghetti. If I’m closer to the side of takeout, I might make this skillet gnocchi with sausage.
The beautiful thing about shelf-stable gnocchi is that it can be thrown directly in a skillet with no boiling. For this recipe, I first steam them in a covered pan for a couple minutes, then uncover to let them brown while also cooking down some hearty greens.
For extra flavor, I toast garlic and sausage in the oil before cooking the gnocchi and greens. At the end I toss in a splash of vinegar and top with a generous shaving of parmesan cheese for acid and salt.
Then I just throw it in bowls and take the win of getting a delightfully satisfying meal on the table. No one needs to know the effort was minimal.
More weeknight recipes, for when you just can’t:
In addition to running this blog, I work a full-time job, have other hobbies, try to spend quality time with my loved ones, and squeeze in some self-care. So trust me, I get the need for quick and easy weeknighters. I also get the need for variety in meal planning—having the same things every week ain’t cute after a while.
For recipes that are both snappy and novel, check out my full collection of weeknight meals. Most of them are also what I consider “nutritionally complete”, meaning they have a protein, carb, and veg—the basic necessities. This is mostly because I’m not a huge fan of having to flip between 3 different recipes to piece together a meal (especially after a long day).
Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Greens
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz sausage links (chicken or pork, cured/fully-cooked) cut into rounds
- 4 cloves garlic smashed and roughly chopped
- 1 lb potato gnocchi (premade/shelf-stable)
- ¼ cup chicken stock or water
- 6 oz hearty greens stems removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 1½ cups of chopped leaves)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Parmesan cheese grated, for topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet (use one with a lid), heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lightly browned.
- Transfer sausage and garlic from the skillet to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add gnocchi to skillet and toss to coat in the oil that remains in the pan.
- Add chicken stock or water to the skillet. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove lid. Add greens and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until greens are wilted and gnocchi are lightly browned.
- Mix in white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, and remove from heat.
- Divide into serving bowls. Top with parmesan cheese.
