This is one of the most satisfying meals I have created for myself. When I have this for dinner, I do not crave dessert and I have no idea why. It's all soft and gooey, and I don't miss the crunch I normally crave! Because I wanted to make this an easy year round meal, I am using can sizes readily available, so this recipe makes 4 portions.

Upgrade Tools Needed

  • Mini food processor (not needed, but recommended)
  • Spice grinder, or mortar and pestle

Ingredients - updated 12/15/20

  • 2 packages of potato gnocchi
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage (if links, just remove casing)
  • ​2 medium onions, or 1 large
  • 1 head of garlic​
  • 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 6oz can of tomato paste
  • 2-3 kale leaves
  • 1 package of fresh mozzarella
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 TSP peppercorns
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 long like I show in the picture), you can substitute 1 TSP dried
  • 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 TSP dried
  • 1 TSP dried oregano
  • 1/2 TSP dried parsley
  • 1/2 TSP dried basil
  • 1/4 TSP of ground cinnamon

Directions - Updated 12/15/20

  1. Add peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, and cinnamon to grinder and grind until a fine powder.
  2. Peel and chop garlic, or pulse in mini-food processor until finely chopped.
  3. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Reduce to simmer and add potato gnocchi, separating as you go. Cook until they float to the surface. Drain off water, reserving 1 cup for later, and toss gnocchi with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.
  4. Add sausage to fry pan to cook and lightly salt. Break apart as it browns.​
  5. While sausage is cooking, dice onion and slice kale into ribbons, removing the large ribs. Set aside for later.
  6. Once the sausage is thoroughly cooked, move to another dish and drain off most of the fat from the pan.
  7. Add the onion to the fry pan with the leftover sausage oil, and lightly salt. As the onions will release some moisture, you will be able to use this to deglaze the pan. Once the onions are lightly browned, add the garlic, and stir for approximately 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant, but not burnt. Remove from heat.
  8. To build the sauce, to the large pot, add onions and garlic, sausage, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, reserved gnocchi water, and the spice mixture. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Taste for salt level, and add more as needed. If the sauce gets too thick, add some water or tomato sauce if you have on hand.
  9. Add the gnocchi to the sausage and sauce mixture and stir to combine. Add the sliced kale, and fold together. The kale will wilt and turn a deep green shade, but not be overcooked.
  10. Turn on broiler of oven to high.
  11. Slice fresh mozarella into 1/8" slices, or as thin as you are able to.
  12. Pour the gnocchi and sausage mixture into four separate dishes, at least one being an oven proof dish for tonight's dinner. Top with slices of fresh mozarella.
  13. Slide the one oven proof pan under the broiler to melt the cheese. It will get very bubbly and start to turn brown in spots. Do not walk away as it can go from tasty to burnt very quickly.
    TIP: I recommend putting a cookie sheet under the pan, just in case the sauce bubbles over. That way it's a pan to clean and not the bottom of your oven.
  14. Remove from oven and let stand for 1 minute before eating.
Customize to your tastes:
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Switch out the kale for another vegetable like spinach, or try fresh basil leaves.
  • Try different sausages, mild, spicy, etc.
  • For a creamier sauce, try adding a small amount of cream cheese or sour cream.
  • Switch out the mozzarella for Parmesan, Romano, Mizithra, or another cheese you like with pasta.
  • Choose a different protein source, or eliminate it altogether.
More pictures to come...

Packaging the Leftovers, and Reheating

  • You can freeze the other 3 portions. The cheese will still melt in the microwave upon reheat. It won't get browned like the broiler, but will still be tasty.
  • The gnocchi are dense so a flat container is better than a bowl unless you like defrosting for 20 minutes on your lunch break!
  • I let the container cool down before I add to my freezer, making sure I label and date the top of the container.​
  • When I want to take to work, before I go to bed, I pull out a container into the fridge to let it thaw out overnight.
  • At work, I pop the top of the container to allow the steam to escape, but leave the lid in place for splatter, and microwave for about 3 minutes. Check the center of the meal by pushing the backside of your utensil into the mix. If it comes out cold still, you may need to stir it up and microwave for at least another minute.
  • If you are reheating at home, dump the whole mixture into an oven proof pan, trying to keep the mozarella on the top. Microwave until warm and then brown the top of the cheese under the broiler.
​last updated 11/9/2020
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