Creamy Sausage Gnocchi – Simply Home Cooked

By Editor On Feb 23, 2025

Modified: Feb 22, 2025 by Dina

This Creamy Sausage Gnocchi is so savory and satisfying. Made with chicken sausage, mushrooms, and Parmesan, you’ll love all the complementary flavors in this scrumptious pasta dish.

Creamy Sausage Gnocchi in a bowl with a fork.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

When I feel like adding a little variety to a pasta night, this Creamy Sausage Gnocchi is the way to go. I love how tasty and mouthwatering this recipe is and also how easy it is to make. You’re going to love this dish!

TASTE: This Creamy Sausage Gnocchi is made with savory sausage, earthy mushrooms, and nutty, cheesy parmesan. This flavorful dish is so satisfying.
TEXTURE: Gnocchi have a denser texture that’s perfect for absorbing yummy sauces. This recipe coats the pasta in a creamy, rich mushroom tomato sauce with chunks of sausage mixed in.
TIME: This 30-minute meal is perfect for busy weeknights.
EASE: Using a semi-homemade sauce saves time and effort, making this simple recipe very convenient.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Creamy Sausage Gnocchi: potato gnocchi, mushroom tomato sauce, chicken sausage, heavy cream, onion, garlic, salt, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese.

Ingredient Notes

Gnocchi– You can use any type of gnocchi you like, just keep an eye on cooking time to make sure they don’t overcook and get mushy.
Vegetables- Onion, Garlic, and Baby Bella Mushrooms add chunky texture and earthy flavors to this tasty dish.
Fresh Mushroom Prego sauce– I like this sauce for this recipe because it adds more mushroom flavor and pairs well with the other ingredients.
Heavy Cream– This adds richness to the sauce, making it creamier.
Parmesan Cheese– This cheese adds nutty, salty, and cheesy flavor to the sauce.
Chicken Sausage– This adds meaty, savory flavor to the dish, but you can also substitute other types of sausage.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Go meatless- If you’d rather have a meatless sauce, go ahead. This tomato gnocchi recipe is very flavorful, even without the added sausage.
Change the pasta- If you can’t find gnocchi or just prefer something a little lighter, then switch out the pasta for your favorite spaghetti, penne, etc. Any pasta will work with this creamy sauce, even gluten-free pasta.
Try different vegetables- Not everyone loves mushrooms, so try some fresh spinach, broccoli, or peppers. You can also find different sauces at the store to match the vegetables of your choosing.
Substitute another meat- You can also make this with Italian sausage, ground beef, or ground pork.

How to Make Creamy Sausage Gnocchi

Cook the sausage. Remove the casing on the chicken sausage and cook it in a large skillet over high heat.
Add the onion and garlic. Once the sausage is cooked, add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Stir over medium heat until the onion is cooked through and appears translucent.
Add the mushrooms and tomato sauce. Now add in the sliced mushrooms and sauté until cooked through. Then pour in the fresh mushroom Prego sauce.

Pro Tip: There’s no need to add oil to the skillet because the sausage naturally has a lot of fat that will coat the pan.

Steps to make Creamy Sausage Gnocchi: cook the sausage without its casing, then add onions, garlic, mushrooms, and tomato sauce, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the cream. Give it a quick stir and add the heavy cream. Let the sauce come to a simmer.
Cook the gnocchi. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi in salted water and then drain it.
Add the gnocchi, cheese, and salt. Once the sauce has come to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the cooked gnocchi, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt. Stir until well combined and serve.

Steps to make Creamy Sausage Gnocchi: add the heavy cream, cook the gnocchi, and then add the pasta, parmesan, and salt to the skillet, stirring everything together.

Recipe Tips

Remove the casing on the sausage- Before you cook the sausage, take off the casing so that the meat breaks apart in the sauce. This will also release more flavor.
Add the heavy cream in slowly- When you come to this step, slowly pour the cream in so that it doesn’t curdle.
Don’t overcook the gnocchi- As soon as you see your gnocchi floating to the surface of the water, take them out. If you overcook them, they will turn to mush.
Make the sauce in advance- If you want to have this dish, but don’t have a lot of cook time, prep the sauce beforehand. You can make the sauce a couple of days in advance and store it in the fridge until you are ready to prepare the pasta.

FAQs

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi (pronounced nyawk-kee) is an Italian dumpling pasta that is usually made with potato, semolina, or flour. They are dense pillows of dough that are very filling and taste great with flavorful sauces.

Can I make this without heavy cream?

If you don’t have heavy cream, then you can substitute it with full-fat coconut milk or you can combine milk with some melted butter to create a creamy, rich ingredient that will flavor and thicken the sauce. The flavor may vary slightly, but it will still be delicious.

Serving Suggestions

This Creamy Sausage Gnocchi is meaty, rich, and filling. You’ll love it served with bread, salad, soup, and vegetables.

Breads: Serve this pasta with some bread to sop up the delicious sauce. Try it with this Focaccia Bread, Rustic Bread (overnight), Sourdough Bread, or Buttery Brioche Bread.
Salads: Start the meal with a Spinach Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Broccoli Cranberry Salad, or Couscous Arugula Salad.
Soups: Serve this Creamy Sausage Gnocchi with a bowl of Tortellini Soup, Baked Potato Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or Easy French Onion Soup.
Vegetables: Pair this pasta dish with some Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Air Fryer Green Beans.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: The pasta can be cooked and kept in the fridge for a day or two, and the sausage tomato sauce for 2-3 days. Keep both in airtight containers. When you are ready to serve, warm and combine them. It’s best to keep the gnocchi out of the sauce ahead of time because they can get overly soft and mushy after a while.

Storing: This Creamy Sausage Gnocchi will keep for about 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can’t stay fresh much longer because of how the gnocchi softens when in sauce for extended periods of time.

Freeze: You can freeze this creamy chicken gnocchi, but it should be done separately. Freeze the gnocchi dumplings on a sheet pan so they do not become stuck together, then when frozen, transfer them to a ziplock freezer bag. The tomato sauce can also be frozen in a ziplock bag, first while laying flat and then stored standing up to save room.

More Delicious Pasta Dishes!

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Full Recipe Instructions