Get ready to treat your taste buds with one of the most delicious and cozy dishes you could imagine with this Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Italian Sausage and Spinach Cream Sauce Recipe! This comforting dish combines the sweetness of sweet potatoes, the heartiness of Italian sausage, and the vibrant freshness of spinach for a meal that is creamy and delicious!
If you're looking for another cozy dinner recipe, you may enjoy my Acorn Squash Soup or if you're looking for sweet potato goodness, you may enjoy my Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl!
Why You'll Love This Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
This sweet potato gnocchi has been one of my favorite dishes for the past year or so. I was first inspired to make it after my boyfriend and I had a similar dish at a local restaurant we went to for a date night and I knew I had to recreate it!
While this recipe isn't the healthiest, it will be one of most delicious things you ever taste! Here are a few reasons that I think you'll love it!
- The sweet potato gnocchi is relatively simple to make. Homemade gnocchi is a labor of love. However, I tried to make this as simple as possible. The gnocchi itself is only 3 ingredients and uses microwaved potatoes so you don't have to wait around while they cook in the oven!
- It's an extremely warm and cozy feeling dish! This dish is perfect for winter while you're in total hibernation mode. It's a classic comfort food that you'll be wanting to make over and over again!
Ingredients
For The Gnocchi
Sweet Potato: I used orange sweet potatoes for this recipe, also known as yams.
All-Purpose Flour: I used bleached all-purpose flour.
Salt: Standard table salt is all you need here.
For the Italian Sausage and Spinach Cream Sauce
Italian Sausage: I used a mild sweet Italian sausage. You'll want to use ground sausage for this recipe.
Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe if you have it. Otherwise, you may use salted butter.
Yellow Onion: I diced my onion fairly small for this dish. Chop them based on your final desired texture for the dish.
Garlic: You'll use minced garlic for this. You can either mince it yourself or buy it pre-minced from the grocery store.
Chicken Broth: I used low sodium chicken broth and recommend you do the same. However, standard chicken broth can also be used.
Heavy Cream: Get that delicious, creamy, cozy texture in this dish.
Red Pepper Flakes: This adds just a hint of spice to the dish. If you prefer more spice, you can add more.
Salt: If you chose to use standard chicken broth or salted butter, I recommend you omit this. Otherwise, use standard table salt.
Dried Rosemary Leaves: I used dried rosemary but ground rosemary will work fine too.
Spinach: I felt like 3 oz of spinach was perfect for this dish but adjust to your liking. I used baby spinach.
Parmesan Cheese: I recommend using shredded parmesan cheese that will melt nicely into the dish.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Wash the sweet potato and then prick holes in the potatoes using a fork. Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 7-12 minutes, rotating the potatoes halfway through. Remove from the microwave when the potatoes are soft. Allow to cool a bit so you can handle them with your bare hands.
Step 2: Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, slice them in half and scoop out the insides. Place the insides in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Step 3: Add the all-purpose flour and the salt to the bowl and begin mixing. I recommend doing this with your hands but you can also use a spatula. Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute. Add more flour if needed. You are looking for a soft dough that is just slightly moist.
Step 4: Cut the dough into eighths and then roll each piece into a long log-like shape. Cut into ½ inch to 1 inch long pieces depending on how large you'd like your gnocchi to be.
Step 5: If you would like the traditional gnocchi look, either shape the gnocchi using a gnocchi board or the back of a fork by rolling the gnocchi pieces down the ridges. This is optional and I often times skip this step.
Step 6: Fill a stock pot with water and place it on your stove to bring it to a boil. Generously salt. While the water is heating, start on the cream sauce.
Step 7: In a large skillet, brown the ground Italian sausage over medium-high heat. While the Italian sausage is cooking, start chopping your onion and mincing your garlic if you haven't yet. Once the sausage is browned, remove it with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Set aside for later.
Step 8: Add the butter to the same skillet and allow it to melt completely. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent and cooked through, stirring the whole time.
Step 9: Add the chicken broth and give everything a quick stir. Add the heavy cream, red pepper flakes, salt, and rosemary. Continue stirring until the mixture just starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low.
Step 10: Add back in the ground sausage and give it a good stir. Add the spinach and stir to wilt it. You're water should be boiling by now so it's time to cook the gnocchi. However, make sure that you continue to stir the cream sauce every so often while you're cooking the gnocchi so that the cream doesn't burn!
Step 11: To cook the gnocchi, drop the pieces into your pot. Stir to make sure that they didn't stick to the bottom. Once the gnocchi floats, they are done. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the cream sauce. Note that you may have to cook the gnocchi in batches. I did mine in 3 batches.
Step 12: Once all of the gnocchi has been added to the cream sauce, give it a good stir before adding your parmesan. Stir until the cheese has completely melted into the mixture. Season with pepper to taste. You can optionally garnish it with some more parmesan cheese and parsley.
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Italian Sausage and Spinach Cream Sauce
Ingredients
For The Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- 1 ½ lbs sweet potato about 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 c all-purpose flour plus additional for flouring your surface
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Cream Sauce
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage ground
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ c chicken broth reduced sodium
- 2 c heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- 3 oz baby spinach washed
- 1 c shredded parmesan plus more for garnish
- pepper to taste
Instructions
For The Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Wash the sweet potato and then prick holes in the potatoes using a fork. Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 7-12 minutes, rotating the potatoes halfway through. Remove from the microwave when the potatoes are soft. Allow to cool a bit so you can handle them with your bare hands.1 ½ lbs sweet potato
- Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, slice them in half and scoop out the insides. Place the insides in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add the all-purpose flour and the salt to the bowl and begin mixing. I recommend doing this with your hands but you can also use a spatula. Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute. Add more flour if needed. You are looking for a soft dough that is just slightly moist.2 c all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Cut the dough into eighths and then roll each piece into a long log-like shape. Cut into ½ inch to 1 inch long pieces depending on how large you'd like your gnocchi to be.
- If you would like the traditional gnocchi look, either shape the gnocchi using a gnocchi board or the back of a fork by rolling the gnocchi pieces down the ridges. This is optional and I often times skip this step.
- Fill a stock pot with water and place it on your stove to bring it to a boil. Generously salt. While the water is heating, start on the cream sauce.
For the Cream Sauce
- In a large skillet, brown the ground Italian sausage over medium-high heat. While the Italian sausage is cooking, start chopping your onion and mincing your garlic if you haven't yet. Once the sausage is browned, remove it with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Set aside for later.1 lb mild Italian sausage
- Add the butter to the same skillet and allow it to melt completely. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent and cooked through, stirring the whole time.2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken broth and give everything a quick stir. Add the heavy cream, red pepper flakes, salt, and rosemary. Continue stirring until the mixture just starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low.½ c chicken broth, 2 c heavy cream, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- Add back in the ground sausage and give it a good stir. Add the spinach and stir to wilt it. You're water should be boiling by now so it's time to cook the gnocchi. However, make sure that you continue to stir the cream sauce every so often while you're cooking the gnocchi so that the cream doesn't burn!3 oz baby spinach
- To cook the gnocchi, drop the pieces into your pot. Stir to make sure that they didn't stick to the bottom. Once the gnocchi floats, they are done. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the cream sauce. Note that you may have to cook the gnocchi in batches. I did mine in 3 batches.
- Once all of the gnocchi has been added to the cream sauce, give it a good stir before adding your parmesan. Stir until the cheese has completely melted into the mixture. Season with pepper to taste. You can optionally garnish it with some more parmesan cheese and parsley.1 c shredded parmesan, pepper
Peggy says
Andee, we loved this dish! It will definitely be a dish we will eat often. It is easy to prepare and looks so pretty dished up and served with a simple salad.