Description
this easy, cheesy baked gnocchi comes together in just about 30 minutes making it a perfect weeknight dish!
Ingredients
																
							Scale
													
									
			- 2 lbs packaged store-bought sweet potato whole wheat gnocchi (I love Gia Russa)
 - 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
 - 1 shallot, minced
 - 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
 - 4 links of Italian-style chicken sausage, casing removed & crumbled
 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
 - Salt & pepper, to taste
 - 1 pint cherry tomatoes
 - 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
 - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
 - 1/2 – 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus more as desired for serving
 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more as desired for serving
 - 1 tablespoon whole milk
 - 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
 
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and coat a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
 - Bring a large pot of water to a boil, drizzle in some olive oil (this helps prevent the pasta from sticking) and cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
 - Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with 1 teaspoon olive oil and add crumbled chicken sausages and cook until lightly browned (~10-12 minutes). Remove pan and set aside.
 - Gently wipe out the skillet (being careful as it will be hot!) and add 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.
 - Add the minced garlic, shallots and onion, stirring frequently and cooking until just tender (~3 minutes).
 - Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, cooking for ~30 seconds more.
 - Add the cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar.
 - Bring the sauce to a simmer and, stirring occasionally, cook for about 5-7 minutes to allow it to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in basil, whole milk, chicken sausage and cooked gnocchi.
 - Add shredded parmesan and toss to combine.
 - Add about half of the gnocchi mixture to your prepared baking dish and top with ~1/2 the torn mozzarella.
 - Add the remaining gnocchi mixture and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
 - Place in the oven and cook for ~10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you want to brown the cheese, you can place it under the broiler for a minute or two (just watch carefully because it can brown up quickly!).
 - Remove from your oven and allow it to rest for 5-7 minutes.
 - Top with additional freshly chopped basil and parmesan and enjoy!
 
Notes
- You can easily omit the sausage from this dish to keep it vegetarian.
 - Gnocchi will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
 
Keywords: gnocchi, pasta, weeknight, dinner, quick, easy