Rich, creamy tomato sauce plus crispy sausages and soft, pillowy gnocchi make a seriously comforting, speedy (20-minute) family-friendly weeknight meal with the added ease of only one pot to wash up.
Quick, low-maintenance weeknight meals that need minimal prep (and effort!) are always welcome after a busy day. And this lovely one-pot gnocchi ticks all those boxes.
It uses easy-to-find ingredients and is such a simple recipe that delivers so much more than the sum of its parts. There’s just something about the creamy, smooth tomato sauce combined with crispy sausage and soft gnocchi that is so satisfying, especially in colder months. Plus, anything that can be made in one pot is always a bonus – less washing up AND all the flavours meld perfectly, creating something even more delicious.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy – it takes just 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Cozy and comforting – perfect weeknight comfort for busy evenings.
- Made in one pot – you don’t even need to cook the gnocchi separately.
- Easy to prep ahead so you can save even more time.
Ingredients
- Gnocchi. I’m using regular, shelf-stable gnocchi you can find in the pasta aisle, but fresh gnocchi would also work.
- Sausages. Here I’m using a mixture of regular pork sausages and chorizo, for more flavour, but you can really use whatever you have to hand or you prefer, flavour-wise. Or, use plant-based sausages to make it vegetarian.
- Sour cream. I love the acidic tang this brings to the gnocchi, but you could also use cream (single, double, heavy or half and half), crème fraîche or a plant-based alternative.
- Tomato passata. Also known as tomato puree in the States, this beautifully smooth sauce is a bit of a shortcut ingredient here as there’s no need to wait for it to break down into a sauce in the pan. You could use crushed or plum tomatoes, but you’ll need to cook them down a little longer.
- Chilli flakes. We’re only using 1 teaspoon here so it’s not much and doesn’t make the dish too spicy, but you can skip them if you’re worried or not a fan of chilli in general.
It’s optional as I know it can be divisive, but I also love adding a little fish sauce. It brings a lovely savoury depth and doesn’t taste fishy at all, I promise.
How to make it
Deskin your sausages, then add them to a high-sided pan with a little olive oil and your diced onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion starts to soften and the sausages are cooked and starting to get crispy. At this point add the garlic and chilli flakes.
Add wine, then the tomato passata and sour cream. Mix to combine into a sauce, then add the gnocchi. Stir so that the gnocchi is covered in the sauce, then lower the heat, pop on a lid and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes. Stir through half the basil leaves, and the parmesan, then divide between plates.
PRO TIP: If your pan doesn’t have a lid, use a large dinner plate, wooden board or aluminium foil.
Serve with more basil and parmesan on top and enjoy while hot and luscious.
Got a question?
You can either make the whole recipe and reheat it later (though the texture of the gnocchi won’t be quite as nice as it is just after cooking), or make the sauce up until adding the gnocchi, and then finish it later. To reheat the gnocchi, add a little water just to help the sauce loosen up a bit, then you can pop it in the microwave at 30-second intervals until piping hot, or reheat it in a small pot over low heat. If you make the sauce in advance, it’ll be fine stored in the fridge for 3 days.
Yes! I like using passata because it cuts the cooking time of the sauce down, but crushed, chopped or plum tomatoes work great too. If you do use them, you’ll need to cook them in the sauce for longer, until they start to break down (about 10 minutes longer than in the recipe).
I love the combination of smoky chorizo and regular pork sausages, but you can use any sausages you like – ‘nduja would also be great. Or, use your favourite plant-based sausages to make the recipe vegetarian.
Like this recipe? You might enjoy these quick pasta ideas
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Creamy Tomato Sausage Gnocchi
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Rich, creamy tomato sauce plus crispy sausages and soft, pillowy gnocchi make a seriously comforting, speedy (20-minute) family-friendly weeknight meal with the added ease of only one pot to wash up.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 sausages, deskinned
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1/4 cup wine (white or rosé)
- 400g/14oz tomato passata
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- 500g/1lb gnocchi
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- A handful of basil leaves, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the onion and sausages. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large, high-sided pan over medium heat, then add your diced onion, salt and de-skinned sausages. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the sausage meat into small pieces, then cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and the sausages are brown and starting to look a little crispy. At this point, add your crushed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, then stir again.
- Add the wine and passata. Pour in 1/4 cup of wine, then let it bubble up for a minute so the alcohol evaporates. Add the tomato passata, tomato paste, sour cream and fish sauce if you’re using it. Stir to combine into a cohesive sauce.
- Add the gnocchi and simmer. Go in with your gnocchi, then stir so that they’re all covered in the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then pop the lid on your pan, turn the heat to low and let the gnocchi cook for about 5 minutes. PRO TIP: If your pan doesn’t have a lid, use a large dinner plate, wooden board or aluminium foil.
- Finish the gnocchi. After 5 minutes, the gnocchi should look a little larger and should be almost cooked through. Remove the lid, then give the gnocchi another stir. Scatter over half the basil leaves and half the parmesan cheese, then stir through the gnocchi so that the cheese melts into the sauce. Give it a taste, then add a little salt if it needs it (this can depend on the saltiness of your sausages). Divide between plates, top with the remaining basil and parmesan, then serve while hot.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The gnocchi is best served right away, for the best texture. Like pasta, the gnocchi will continue to absorb liquid as it sits in it, so you might find they turn a little soggy and bloated after sitting in the sauce for a time. But, you absolutely can reheat leftovers – just add a little more liquid when you reheat it so that it loosens the sauce up. Either reheat gently on the stovetop, or in the microwave at 30-second intervals.
MAKE AHEAD: Follow the recipe up until you add the gnocchi (so just make the creamy tomato sausage sauce), then transfer to a container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, pop it back into your pan and continue with the recipe.
INGREDIENT NOTES: I’m using a mixture of chorizo and regular pork sausages, and you can really use whatever sausages you’d like here. Add spinach leaves at the end with the basil to add some greens if you like. You can use crushed or plum tomatoes instead of passata, but you’ll need to cook the sauce for a little longer so they have time to break down.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: one pot
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
Keywords: sausage gnocchi, tomato gnocchi, one pot gnocchi
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