Sprig Originals's kitchen / Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach
Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach
By Sprig Originals · cooked up in Sprig
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
Everything goes into one baking dish raw — shelf-stable gnocchi, jarred marinara, a splash of cream, spinach and pinches of Italian sausage — and the oven does all of it. It comes out bubbling under browned mozzarella, with the gnocchi pillowy and the sauce clinging to every piece. No boiling, no browning, no extra pans, and the leftovers reheat beautifully.
Ingredients
The bake
- 2 lb shelf-stable potato gnocchi (two 1 lb packets, not frozen)
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 24 oz jarred marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for the dish
Top
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and rub a 9x13-inch baking dish with the olive oil.
- Pour the marinara and cream straight into the baking dish and stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and black pepper. Add the gnocchi (dry, straight from the packet — do not boil them) and the spinach, and fold with a spatula until everything is coated; the dish will look overfull until the spinach wilts down.
- Pinch the sausage into roughly 1/2-inch nuggets and tuck them evenly across the surface and down into the gnocchi so they are surrounded by sauce.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and stir gently from the bottom up, breaking any large sausage pieces in half; the sausage should be cooked through (165°F/74°C) and the gnocchi tender. If the sauce looks tight, stir in 2–3 tablespoons of hot water.
- Scatter over the mozzarella and parmesan and bake uncovered for 15–18 minutes, until the cheese is melted with browned patches and the edges bubble. For a darker top, broil for 1–2 minutes, watching closely.
- Rest 10 minutes so the sauce thickens, then scatter with torn basil and serve straight from the dish.
Chef's tips
- Shelf-stable vacuum-packed gnocchi from the pasta aisle is essential here — frozen gnocchi releases too much water and refrigerated fresh gnocchi turns soft in the long bake.
- Reheat portions covered at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes, or microwave with a splash of milk stirred in; it keeps 4 days in the fridge.
- Swap the sausage for 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms and a drained 15 oz can of cannellini beans to make it meatless, and cover-bake for 25 minutes instead of 30.
- Assemble the dish up to a day ahead, refrigerate covered, and add 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
810calories
34gprotein
64gcarbs
47gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
Made with Sprig
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