Name: Baked Gnocchi (with Sausage and Kale)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound gnocchi ((or store-bought)); 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ pound mild Italian sausage; 1 bunch tuscan kale (ribs removed and torn into bite sized pieces); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided); 1 minced shallot (about 1/3 cup); 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; 2 cups heavy cream; 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan; salt and pepper to taste; crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Baked gnocchi being scooped out onto a plate.

Our Baked Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale is a cozy, comforting one-dish meal, brimming with rich and savory flavors. It looks and tastes good enough for date night but is easy enough to make at the end of a busy workday. While the ingredients are simple, they combine for a decadent and filling pasta dinner you’ll love.

You can make homemade gnocchi using our Simple Homemade Gnocchi Recipe or store-bought; either will do the trick. You could even try our Sweet Potato Gnocchi for a fun and colorful twist! Whichever kind you choose, these soft, doughy potato dumplings pair perfectly with rich sausage and hearty kale. Once you love gnocchi as much as we do, you can even substitute it for noodles like we do in our favorite Chicken and Gnocchi Soup!

How to Make Baked Gnocchi

Ingredients

Process

Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a large pan, add oil and place over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up into bite-sized pieces.
Add kale and continue to sauté for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter into pan and add gnocchi to the pan. Lightly brown for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer gnocchi into the same bowl as the sausage and kale.
Add shallots, garlic, and cream to the skillet and simmer over medium heat.

Gnocchi added to a bowl with sausage and kale.

Shallots and garlic cooking in a skillet.

Once the mixture has reduced by ⅓, add the Parmesan and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the gnocchi mixture and continue to simmer over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Cream sauce simmering to make baked gnocchi.

Gnocchi, kale, and sausage in a skillet being tossed with a cream sauce.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat, top with crushed pepper flakes, and serve.

Gnocchi mixture in a pan about to go into the oven.

Important Tools You Will Need

A large pan or skillet for browning the sausage and gnocchi––a non-stick one like this is perfect!
A shallow (3.5qt) baking dish for baking the gnocchi with sausage and kale in the oven.

Variations

Replace the heavy cream with a tomato sauce or marinara for a lighter, tangy flavor. For a ‘rosé style sauce, swap half the cream for marinara.
Add a tablespoon or two of pesto to the cream sauce for a light, herby flavor.
Add a scoop of Calabrian chili paste for heat.
Swap plain potato gnocchi for sweet potato, cauliflower, or whole wheat gnocchi.
Swap all or some cheese with mozzarella, fontina, or gouda cheese.
Use spinach or Swiss chard in place of the kale.
Add a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or mushrooms for a unique burst of flavor to the dish.

Instructions for Using Frozen Gnocchi

You can use frozen gnocchi instead of fresh or dried gnocchi for this recipe.

To use frozen gnocchi, add them to the pan straight from the freezer (no thawing required), exactly as you would with fresh gnocchi. Just add a few minutes to the cooking time as you sauté. Frozen gnocchi will take closer to 5-6 minutes to thaw through and brown on the outside, as opposed to 2-3 minutes for fresh.

Tips and Tricks for Baked Gnocchi Success

To avoid overcooked and mushy gnocchi, do not boil them ahead of time or let them boil in the sauce. All they need is a few minutes to brown and a couple of minutes to simmer in the sauce before adding them to the pan to bake.
When sauteeing the kale, give it enough time to wilt. This helps the kale become tender as it bakes, so you won’t be stuck with tough, chewy pieces in your baked gnocchi.
Use fresh ingredients if you can. There isn’t much to this recipe, so quality is extremely important. Freshly grated parmesan cheese, quality sausage, and fresh garlic and shallots will shine through in this dish.
Be careful not to reduce the sauce too much as it’s simmering on the stove. It will continue to thicken as it bakes in the oven.

Baked gnocchi with some red pepper flakes on the side.

Make Ahead, Freezing and Reheating Instructions

Make Ahead

You can easily make this baked gnocchi dish up to 24 hours ahead of time by assembling the entire thing right up to the point of putting it in the oven or meal-prepping a couple of ingredients to shave time off of cooking during the week.

To meal prep the entire dish, follow the directions as written, and once you’ve added everything to the baking dish, let it cool before covering it with plastic wrap and a lid or aluminum foil. Refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake it, remove the dish from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake as directed. If it’s still cold when you put it in the oven, it may need an extra 5 minutes in the oven.

Or you can shave time off this meal by preparing separate components ahead of time and then assembling and baking when you’re ready. Brown the sausage, gnocchi, and kale let them cool and store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Then, when you’re ready to bake it, proceed with the recipe as written.

Baked gnocchi in a pan being scooped out to serve.

Freezing

Freezing dishes with cream sauces isn’t recommended, as the texture tends to be off when reheating. However, you can still freeze the entire prepared dish or leftovers by adding them to a freezer-safe dish and closing it tightly, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow reheating instructions for leftovers or bake as directed.

Reheating

For the best results, we love reheating baked gnocchi in the oven. Just add your leftovers to an oven-safe container and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 350˚F for 10 minutes or until warmed through. You can remove the foil in the last couple of minutes as long as the gnocchi isn’t dried out. (If it does seem dry, just add a splash of cream and stir.)

You could also place any leftovers in a microwave-safe dish and microwave (covered) for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through.