Sausage Gnocchi Alfredo
All your creamy cheesy sauce dreams come true with this Sausage Gnocchi Alfredo recipe! I’ve been a huge fan of gnocchi for years, and take it pretty seriously…seriously! I have a “gold standard” when it comes to gnocchi, and it’s from Arezzo Ristorante in Edina, MN.
Years ago we started going here for occasional date nights, and one of us always had to get the gnocchi. It was melt in your mouth soft, luxurious pillows of deliciousness! One evening we were sitting outside, I ordered the gnocchi, and when it arrived my heart sank. The second it was put in front of me I could tell just by looking at it that it had drastically changed. I took a bite and almost teared up (seriously, ask my husband). It was really tough to the bite, and so disappointing. Long story short…they had changed chefs, but fast forward they got it fixed and it’s delicious again (or at least it is at the time of this post)!
This recipe is just a simple Alfredo sauce which includes butter, garlic, cream, and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. It comes together in in just a few minutes! I like to add red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper. And to go along with the quick cooking sauce, the store bought, imported from Italy gnocchi cooks up in 2-3 minutes! I find a few different brands in the pasta and sauce section, or imported foods section of my grocery store. They are all pretty similar, and I’ve had luck with all of them I’ve tried. If you want to give homemade gnocchi a try I definitely recommend! I’ve made regular potato gnocchi and sweet potato gnocchi. It’s so delicious and relatively easy, just more time consuming. Here is a great recipe to try!
I used sweet Italian pork sausage in this recipe, but I’ve used turkey sausage before in both sweet and hot varieties, just depends what you like! The sauce is pretty rich, and the gnocchi is filling, a little goes a long way. Depending on how big of eaters you have, this could spread to 6 people, but I wrote it as 4 servings. I added a bunch of baby spinach for added color and veg. I like to serve with a simple arugula salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.
This Sausage Gnocchi Alfredo is best served and enjoyed right away. I’ve had it for leftovers and the gnocchi becomes a little tough, and the butter tends to separate from the sauce. Still great flavors, but not quite the best re-heat dish. A great family weeknight meal, or impressive course for a dinner party! Hope you enjoy!
Sausage Gnocchi Alfredo
Ingredients
- 17 oz package Gnocchi
- 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage pork or turkey
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2+ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 2 cups fresh grated Parmesan cheese see notes
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
Instructions
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In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto a plate.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil so it is ready for the Gnocchi.
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In the same skillet as you cooked the sausage, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic and heavy cream. Whisk until combined and warmed, simmer on low for about 2 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the fresh graded Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and creamy.
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Stir the sausage back into the cream sauce, and add the handfuls of spinach. The spinach will wilt down to almost nothing. Stir until combined and wilted.
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Cook Gnocchi according to package instructions. Once cooked, add gnocchi into the sausage Alfredo sauce. Season with additional black pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If you like a spicier dish, use hot Italian sausage for extra kick.
You can find the packaged gnocchi imported from Italy by the pasta and sauce section of your grocery store.
This is best enjoyed as a fresh dish. When reheated the gnocchi becomes more dense, and the alfredo sauce tends to separate.
2 Comments
Peggy
I made this recipe today and it is sooo good. My whole family loved it!
Laura Doerr
Wonderful! Glad to hear, such a great comfort food dish!