Spinach Gnocchi with Roasted Kale Chicken Sausage and Homemade Garden Pesto. Sounds fancy doesn’t it?! Well it is, but it also took less than 30 minutes to throw together on a busy night.
A little bit of homemade mixed with a few store bought short cuts created this bright and flavorful dish. Our local grocery store sells organic chicken sausages with kale and garlic that when combined with gluten free spinach gnocchi create a base for nearly endless quick dishes. The gnocchi are gluten free, non-GMO, organic, and…. from HOMEGOODS! Homegoods has quickly become our go to for unique additions to our pantry. We bought this gnocchi once then ran back and scooped up the rest of their supply they were so good. And they’re a steal at $2.99! But because no Homegoods is the same you can also get them here.
Just like with all our dishes, creativity is the key. This recipe is a basis for so many other dishes. Is there an Italian sausage you love on sale? Want to add a sundried tomato base to the pesto? Go for it! We’ll provide you with our favorite recipes and feel free to mix it up a bit to satisfy your taste buds. I can say that the original recipe is QUITE tasty though.
It all started with my husband, Jimmy, and I staring at each other asking what’s for dinner? Hmmmm….
Earlier that day I had whipped together a cute – and very last minute – hostess gift. A bouquet of herbs from our garden. That was inspiration enough!
We grabbed 3 types of basil, oregano, a bit of mint, and parsley and tossed it in the food processor. We had a basis for a delicious pesto now to add a few other pesto staples. Cheese – we had some goat! Nuts – a handful of almonds. And of course, a bit of real olive oil
Where was I? Ah yes. We had herbs, cheese, nuts and olive oil. Add a little salt, pepper and a splash of red wine vinegar and you have PESTO! In less than 5 minutes you’ve created this bright, tangy sauce that you can’t help but keep dipping your spoon finger in while you finish cooking.
The rest of the dish just falls together. Before you gather your pesto ingredients just throw the chicken sausage in a lightly oiled pan and let them do there thing. When they’re cooked through set them on the cutting board to rest and use the same pan to boil the gnocchi. Just fill the pan up with water and toss them in. Those little pillows will soak up all of the pan juices that were left as they boil away! The last step is tossing everything together in, yes, the same pan! Not only is this dish done in less than 30 minutes but it’s a one pan – and a food processor – wonder! Any dish that saves me from cleaning is already a win in my book.
Spinach Gnocchi with Homemade Pesto in less than 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 package of Kale Chicken Sausage
- 1 package of Gluten Free Spinach Gnocchi
For the Pesto:
- Approximately 1-2 cups fresh Basil
- 2 sprigs of fresh Mint
- 1 Tbsp fresh Oregano
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 cup Goat Cheese
- 1/4 cup Almonds plus a few crushed for garnish
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2-3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth - to loosen sauce if needed
Instructions
- Preheat pan on medium and lightly oil
- Brown chicken sausages
- While chicken is cooking. In food processor - add basil, mint, oregano, garlic, goat cheese, almonds, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Blend until smooth but still has some texture. If too thick add a few splashes of chicken broth until a sauce like consistency
- Remove sausages and let rest on cutting board
- In same pan add water and bring to a boil for the gnocchi
- Once boiling add gnocchi and cook until they float - approximately 5 minutes
- Slice sausage
- Strain gnocchi and add back to pan
- Add pesto and sausage
- Tomato slice and crushed almonds for garnish
- Enjoy!
The final product was so vibrant in flavor. A few fresh tomato wedges – also a last minute idea from the garden – gave the gnocchi an extra pop of color and brightness.
I was surprised at how light this dish turned out. The flavors were rich and kept you coming back for bite after bite, but you don’t feel guilty since you know all of the fresh ingredients that went in to making this last minute home gourmet meal.
Looking for another easy and fast gourmet meal to make at home? This traditional cast iron steak recipe will something you’ll be talking about for days! Delicious, easy the one gourmet meal anyone can make.
See more at Cooking with a Fireman
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