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This easy one pan creamy chicken and gnocchi recipe is the perfect meal for busy weeknights. Combining Italian seasoned chicken sausage and tender potato gnocchi in a creamy sauce, this dish packs plenty of flavor into every bite! Ready in just 30 minutes, you can enjoy a comforting and delicious meal that your whole family will love.
One thing I’ve learned in my adult life is that you’re always cleaning up the kitchen and you’re always doing dishes. I still don’t understand why this is the case but I swear I’m constantly washing something. I love one pan meals for this very reason. This one pan creamy chicken and gnocchi is made in one pan and it’s way less dishes you have to do at the end of the night and I think we can call that a win!
Why You’ll Love This
Easy, one pan. This one pan creamy chicken and gnocchi comes together in just one pan, making cleanup easy. Fewer dishes means more time to watch that favorite show of yours while you wind down for the evening!
Flavorful ingredients. Italian seasoned fresh chicken sausage and potato gnocchi combine to create a flavorful and hearty meal.
Creamy and comforting. The gnocchi cooks right in the creamy sauce mixture and the starchiness of the potato gnocchi creates a thick, creamy sauce that is comforting and coats all the ingredients so well!
What You’ll Need
- Fresh Italian chicken sausage – these are the fresh chicken sausages that come in a casing that you need to remove them from.
- Marinara sauce – I love Rao’s but I also love Trader Joe’s organic tomato basil sauce.
- Parmesan cheese
- Heavy cream
- Garlic
- Potato Gnocchi – I used fresh gnocchi in mine so it only took about 2 minutes to cook. If you get the ones that are pre-packaged, follow the directions on the packaging.
- Baby spinach
- Fresh basil
How to Make One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
Brown and break apart the chicken sausage. In a large skillet, over high heat, brown the chicken sausage with a little bit of olive oil or avocado oil, breaking it apart into smaller pieces with a spatula.
Add the garlic. Once the chicken sausage is mostly cooked through, add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the marinara sauce and heavy cream. Gently pour in the marinara sauce and stir to incorporate. Then add the heavy cream and stir to incorporate.
Add the spinach and gnocchi. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer then add the baby spinach and the gnocchi. Because I’m using fresh gnocchi, this will take only about 2 minutes to cook. When you remove the skillet from the heat, add the parmesan cheese and stir to melt and incorporate.
Gently simmer and reduce. You’ll want this to be on a gentle simmer until the sauce has thickened with the gnocchi addition. Remove from heat once this has been achieved.
Tips for Success
- Use fresh gnocchi. Fresh gnocchi will cook faster and will be more tender. You can usually find fresh gnocchi at your local grocery store and if you’re ambitious enough, you can always make your own.
- Splurge on a flavorful pasta sauce. It’s true, not all pasta sauces are created equal! Of course, you may use your favorite but I really like splurging when it comes to my pasta sauces. I love Rao’s because of their fresh flavor and minimal ingredients. Since the pasta sauce is kind of the base sauce in this recipe, you definitely want a good one.
- Add a parmesan rind. One of my favorite tricks when cooking pasta dishes is to use parmesan rinds. Parmesan rinds won’t melt, but they will give off a cheesy, hearty richness. Just throw the rind in with the liquid, and let it cook with the rest of the ingredients. Remove the rind before serving, just as you would with a bay leaf.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
This will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat, you may want to add some water or chicken stock to it to thin it out a little to create some more sauce. Otherwise, it’s clumped together.
Common Questions
Can I make this vegan? Yes, absolutely. You can omit the chicken sausage or use a meat-alternative sausage. You can substitute the heavy cream for a plant-based milk.
What other protein can I add to this? Shrimp would be tasty and quick. I would add it when you add the gnocchi since shrimp cooks pretty fast.
How do I make this spicy? Adding red pepper flakes would make this spicy!
More One Pan Meals
- One Pot Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy One Pot Mushroom and Leek Pasta
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- One-Pot Garlic Lemon Chicken Orzo
One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 13 ½ ounces (383 g) fresh Italian chicken sausage, casing removed
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup (245 g) marinara sauce
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach leaves
- 16 ounce (454 g) package of potato gnocchi
- ½ cup (50 g) shredded parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil. Once oil is warm, add the chicken sausage and use a spatula to break it into smaller pieces. Let the chicken sausage brown for about 5 minutes and until it's mostly cooked through.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the marinara sauce and heavy cream. Stir to incorporate.
- Add the baby spinach leaves and fresh gnocchi into the skillet and stir to incorporate and mix all together.
- Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese. Stir to make sure everything is evenly coated. Sprinkle fresh basil on top for garnish.
I loved this recipe. So delicious and easy. Could you use a fresh cavatappi instead of the gnocchi?
yes, definitely since it’s fresh! it’ll cook fast like the gnocchi